Italian Zucchini Boats

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I just realized I’ve got a theme going here lately.  Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Mushrooms, and now Stuffed Zucchini.  But this is the time for zucchini boats!  As spring arrives, I’m now finding large zucchinis, perfect for filling. So let’s do an Italian take with Italian Zucchini Boats

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Italian Zucchini Boats

As spring arrives, I’m now finding large zucchinis, perfect for filling.  I love this beefy Italian inspired version.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Gluten Free, Nut Free, WW Friendly

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 385kcal

Equipment

• Baking Dish, Saute or Frying pan

Ingredients

• 4 zucchini
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes divided
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• Italian cheese of your choice optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/2 cup pasta sauce in a large baking dish.
• Make the zucchini boats. Cut ends off the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch shell. Place flesh side up in baking dish.
• Prepare a sauté pan with cooking spray and heat to medium.
• Add in onion and ground beef. Cook until browned, 4-5 minutes.
• Add diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and remaining pasta sauce. Stir to combine.
• Stuff the zucchini boats with the beef mixture. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes until zucchini is cooked through, but still has some firmness.
• If adding cheese, remove zucchini from oven and uncover after 25 minutes. Remove foil, add cheese, and return to oven for additional 5 minutes.

Notes

This recipe is 7 Green, Blue, or Purple WW Points.  Points include reduced fat cheese.

Jump to nutritional information

There’s nothing better than going to a farmer’s market and seeing those giant green zucchini. Sometimes I can find them in the grocery store, but if you’re looking for boat worthy zucchinis, I’ve found that you’ll have better luck at a farm stand. Zucchini is one of nature’s blank canvases as I like to say. Not a lot of taste, but that’s what makes it so great – you can put it with anything! That’s one of the reasons I like zucchini boats so much. I get a nice big helping of vegetable, but tons of taste from whatever goes in it. Today’s stuffing: Italian, so let’s go!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large baking dish by pouring 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom.

Cut ends off the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, melon baller, or other similar tool, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves.  Personally, I use a knife to make some cuts in the zucchini to loosen the center up, then use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to remove the center. Leave a bit of a shell, do don’t need to empty it to the skin.  Put open side up in baking dish.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium.  Once your skillet is hot, add onion and ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned, about four or five minutes. Drain the fat from the meat.  Return skillet to the stove and add diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and remaining pasta sauce. Stir to combine.

Stuff the zucchini boats with the beef mixture.  Don’t worry if it spills over a bit, the more the better! But you probably will have some leftover mix, I usually do. It’s ok, makes a great scramble for breakfast the next day, or use it to top some pasta for lunch. Or, just eat it as a snack. Cover pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

I love cheese, in case you couldn’t tell. So of course any Italian inspired dish I make is probably going to have some sort of Italian cheese. If adding cheese, remove from oven, sprinkle cheese over top and return to oven for additional five minutes.  If not using cheese, allow zucchinis to cook undisturbed for full 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve hot.

One bit of this and you’ll know why I love zucchini boats. Love the Italian Zucchini Boats? then you should try my Greek or Korean boats!

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