Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
Tender zucchini is stuffed with a savory vegetarian filling of mushrooms, bell peppers, olives and spinach, topped with ricotta and baked in a marinara sauce.
How to Make the Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats
These stuffed zucchini boats are a beautiful and satisfying vegetarian main course that proves healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. Tender zucchini shells are filled to the brim with a savory mixture of sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, kalamata olives, and wilted spinach, all nestled in a pool of marinara sauce and crowned with creamy ricotta cheese.
What makes this dish so special is the combination of textures and Mediterranean-inspired flavors. The zucchini becomes perfectly tender in the oven while the filling stays beautifully moist from the marinara below. A quick broil at the end gives everything a gorgeous golden top with slightly caramelized edges of parmesan and ricotta.
Whether you’re looking for a meatless Monday dinner or an impressive dish to serve guests, these zucchini boats deliver on all fronts. They’re naturally gluten-free, packed with vegetables, and come together in just over an hour. Serve them alongside a simple green salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal that everyone will love.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Tender zucchini is stuffed with a savory vegetarian filling of mushrooms, bell peppers, olives and spinach, topped with ricotta and baked in a marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Zucchini Boats
Sauce and Toppings
Instructions
Prepare the Zucchini
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the center, hollowing out the zucchini like a little boat. Save and chop up the scooped-out part and set aside.
Make the Filling
- In a large skillet, sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil for 1 minute.
- Add mushrooms and zucchini flesh, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the bell pepper, olives, and spinach and stir for about 1 minute until the spinach is wilted. Turn the heat off.
- Stir in 1/2 cup marinara sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Assemble and Bake
- Add the remaining marinara sauce to the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish, large skillet, or heavy pan.
- Set the zucchini boats over the marinara. Mound the filling into the hollowed-out boats and nestle in a few dollops of ricotta on top of each one.
- Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil or lid and bake for 15-20 minutes, until zucchini is fork tender. Bigger squash with thicker shells may take longer.
- Uncover and broil for 5 minutes until the top is golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- For a vegan version, substitute the ricotta with cashew cream and use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
- The filling can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious marinara sauce.
