Make these zucchini boats for a straightforward summer season dinner! They’re contemporary and filling, full of a scrumptious combination of breadcrumbs, herbs, and cheese.
I began making this stuffed zucchini boats recipe a couple of years again. It’s been a staple in our summer season dinner rotation ever since!
I like this recipe for a number of causes. First, it’s a improbable solution to profit from a summer season stockpile of zucchini. I don’t let any of the squash go to waste right here. As an alternative of tossing the scooped zucchini flesh, I combine it into the zesty filling.
Second, it’s stuffed with contemporary summer season taste. These zucchini boats function seasonal veggies like cherry tomatoes and contemporary herbs along with the zucchini. Lemon zest brightens up the filling too.
Third, these stuffed zucchini boats are easy to make. You may hole out the squash and blend up the filling in 20 minutes. Then, simply pop them within the oven to bake! They’re a beautiful summer season meal that you could have on the desk in underneath 45 minutes. I hope you like them as a lot as I do!
Elements for Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Right here’s what you’ll have to make this stuffed zucchini recipe:
- Zucchini, after all! I exploit it 2 methods, stuffing the shells with a zucchini-loaded filling.
- Egg binds the filling collectively.
- Coarse breadcrumbs create a scrumptious physique for the filling—the highest will get toasty, whereas the within stays moist.
- Parmesan cheese provides melty texture and umami taste.
- Garlic punches it up.
- Cherry tomatoes dot the filling with candy, juicy bites.
- Pine nuts add crunch.
- Lemon zest and thyme give it a vivid, contemporary end.
- Further-virgin olive oil helps the zucchini soften within the oven.
- And salt and pepper make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements beneath.
Methods to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Stuffed greens could seem fussy, however they’re deceptively easy. As with my stuffed bell peppers and stuffed poblanos, these come collectively in just some steps. Right here’s all you want to do:
- Minimize the zucchini. Halve them lengthwise and hole out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick rim round every half.
- Make the filling. Chop any giant items of scooped flesh and switch all of it to a kitchen strainer. Press out any extra moisture, after which add the zucchini flesh to a bowl with the egg, breadcrumbs, cherry tomatoes, thyme, lemon zest, cheese, garlic, pine nuts, and salt. Stir till every part’s effectively mixed.
- Load up the zucchini. Place the zucchini shells in a baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle them with olive oil and spoon within the breadcrumb combination.
- Bake! Switch the stuffed squash to a 475°F oven and bake till the zucchini is tender and the filling is about and properly golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes.
Get pleasure from!
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe Suggestions
We’ve made this stuffed zucchini recipe (initially impressed by the stuffed zucchini within the Ottolenghi Easy cookbook) many occasions. Following the following pointers yields one of the best outcomes:
- Squeeze out as a lot water as you may from the zucchini flesh earlier than stirring it into the filling. You don’t need it to be watery! Chop any larger zucchini chunks into small items earlier than including them to the seedy, pulpy innards and urgent them over a kitchen strainer.
- Don’t scoop an excessive amount of. Ensure you depart a sturdy border of zucchini flesh to assist the yummy filling. In the event you scoop an excessive amount of, your stuffed zucchini boats shall be flimsy.
- Make your individual breadcrumbs. Higher bread = higher bread crumbs, so discover a good baguette or loaf of crusty bread for this recipe. Tear it into chunks and pulse them in a meals processor to create coarse crumbs for the filling. Benefit from the remaining bread on the facet!
- Prime them with pesto. These stuffed zucchini boats are nice on their very own, however a drizzle of pesto actually takes them excessive. Make do-it-yourself basil pesto or use store-bought. In pinch, tomato sauce or marinara sauce can be good right here too.
Serving Ideas
We like these stuffed zucchini boats as a fundamental or facet dish. In the event you make this recipe with 3 medium zucchini, it serves 6 as a facet. In the event you make it with 2 giant zucchini, it serves 4 as a fundamental course.
Pair the boats with a bowl of gazpacho or a summery pasta like my cherry tomato pasta or pesto pasta. They’d additionally go effectively with any of those summer season salads:
Leftover zucchini boats maintain effectively in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Reheat them within the microwave or a 350°F oven.
Extra Favourite Zucchini Recipes
In the event you love this stuffed zucchini, attempt one in all these zucchini recipes subsequent:
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Serves 4 to six
We like to make these stuffed zucchini boats for a straightforward summer season dinner! With medium zucchini, the recipe serves 6 as a facet dish. With giant zucchini, it serves 4 as a fundamental course.
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
-
Preheat the oven to 475°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Use a small spoon to hole out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving a little bit greater than ¼-inch thickness across the edges. Place them lower facet up on the baking sheet.
-
Make the filling. Place the scooped-out zucchini flesh right into a mesh strainer and gently press out any extra water. You ought to be left with 1 cup flesh. Chop any coarse items and switch to a medium bowl with the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, tomatoes, lemon zest, thyme, pine nuts, and salt. Combine till mixed, utilizing your palms if obligatory.
-
Drizzle the hollowed-out zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon within the filling and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or till the filling is about and is golden brown and crisp on prime.
-
Serve with pesto.
Impressed by the stuffed zucchini recipe in Ottolenghi Easy and reprinted with permission from the writer.