Zucchini Boats

5 from 6 votes

These easy Zucchini Boats are stuffed with a savory sausage marinara filling, topped with melty Cheddar, and baked to perfection!

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Zucchini Boats

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $15.12

Equipment

Ingredients

Cooking spray
4 small-to-medium zucchini
Olive oil
1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion or 2 small ones
1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 to 4 cloves
1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups marinara sauce I’m obsessed with Rao’s Marinara in this recipe!
1-1/3 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Fresh parsley for garnish, optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to carefully scoop the flesh out, leaving a firm border along the edges. Place zucchini halves in the prepared baking dish (see note 1) and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the them. Rub the oil into each zucchini and add a small sprinkle of salt and pepper (the filling is salted, so just a pinch here!). Bake for 5 minutes and remove.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan, add onion, and cook 3–5 minutes or until onion begins to become translucent. Add in garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Move onion and garlic to edges and add sausage to the middle of the pan. Cook and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon into small crumbles, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Drain off any grease if needed.
Add all seasonings (oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning, beef bouillon powder, and salt and pepper to taste), tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cooking over medium heat, 1 minute or until very fragrant. Add in marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes.
Spoon meat mixture evenly into zucchini shells; it should fill 8 medium zucchini halves. Add freshly grated cheese evenly on top.
Bake 20–25 minutes or until zucchinis are crisp tender (it should still have a bite to it but not be mushy!) and cheese is melted. If desired, add fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Note 1: If all the zucchinis won’t fit into one pan, no worries! Either fit zucchini along the sides of the pan or use another pan, such as an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, to hold the overflow.

Storage: Zucchini Boats don’t freeze or thaw well, though the meat filling mixture can be frozen for 2–3 months: Let it cool, then store in a heavy-duty freezer bag or container, allowing expansion space. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove over low heat, 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition