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Stuffed zucchini boats are packed with a flavor-packed filling and melty cheese. Here’s how to bake them golden and tender (never soggy!).
I’ll be honest: I’m not huge fan of zucchini outside of baked goods, but this stuffed zucchini boats recipe made me a convert! You just hollow out zucchini into shells, then stuff it with sausage, tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, and bake until golden brown.
It never fails that someone I serve it to says wow! These are packed with savory flavor and make a zucchini lover out of anyone. You can use either plant-based sausage or regular, depending on your diet.
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This recipe for zucchini boats is the best I’ve ever had. 5 stars.” -Pamela
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow! So delicious! This is the most flavorful zucchini dish I’ve ever eaten. The zucchini doesn’t get soggy. The breadcrumbs are crispy and the cheese makes it all taste amazing.” -Valerie
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here’s why I hope you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s a delicious way to turn zucchini into dinner. Everyone around the table will love it, and you don’t have to add 2 cups of sugar to make it taste good.
- Lighter than most stuffed zucchini recipes. Many recipes use 1 cup or more mozzarella, which is really just a cheese bake with a vegetable underneath. I use ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan, so it’s really about the veggies here.
- Faster than the lasagna. If you love Zucchini Lasagna but want it easier and quicker, try this one!
Ingredient Notes for Zucchini Boats
Here are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need:
- Zucchini: Medium to medium-small. Save the huge garden zucchini for Zucchini Bread.
- Sausage: Plant-based sausage or crumbles, Italian or chicken sausage, or 2 cups of my homemade Vegan Ground Beef Crumbles. See more below!
- Fire roasted tomatoes: It’s important to have crushed fire roasted tomatoes for the best flavor here.
- Garlic, dried oregano, fennel seeds, kosher salt, and black pepper: The fennel seed really adds depth and intrigue to the flavor.
- Parmesan and whole milk mozzarella: Parmesan adds savory depth and mozzarella adds that melty topping.
- Italian seasoned panko makes a crunch topping, and fresh basil or parsley makes a bright garnish.
Plant-Based or Regular: Choosing Your Sausage
The plant-based sausage and crumbles on the market these days are higher quality than in the past. I used to avoid eating it because felt too processed, but now I eat it occasionally. It’s made of pea protein and has a texture and flavor that’s remarkably similar to meat.
Since I also eat chicken on the Mediterranean diet, I realized I can make this with chicken sausage, too. Here are a few notes on the sausage component of this recipe:
- Use any plant-based crumbles or sausage. I like the brands Impossible and Beyond. Sausage is harder to find so you can use any type of crumbles or ground beef. We used Impossible Sausage.
- Try homemade Vegan Ground Beef. This homemade mixture of mushrooms, walnuts and savory spices remarkably tastes like meat.
- Or, go for regular Italian or chicken sausage. If you’re a meat eater, regular sausage works well: or chicken sausage works too! Make sure to drain any extra fat before adding the sauce ingredients.
How to Keep Zucchini Boats From Getting Soggy
Here’s what I do to keep these boats from getting too soggy:
- Bake them hot. Use a temperature of 425°F, not 350°F.
- Scoop them thoroughly. Leave a shell about ¼ inch thick. If there’s extra pulp, it releases water into the boat.
- Bake uncovered, and don’t pre-bake the shells. Foil traps steam; pre-baking makes them too mushy.
- Rest a few minutes before serving. This helps the texture to set.
Tips For the Best Zucchini Boats
- Use medium to medium-small zucchini. You don’t want those massive garden zucchini here: they’re much too large.
- Only cut off the stem end. Don’t cut off both ends or you don’t get the boat shape! I accidentally when on autopilot when preparing this recipe and chopped off both ends. (It still works, it just doesn’t look as nice and filling may drip out then end while baking.)
- Use fire roasted tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes add the best flavor here: they taste sweet and smoky right out of the can. If you can’t find them, I’ve listed a substitute in the recipe.
- Whole milk mozzarella cheese makes a difference. It melts much better than part skim and has a richer flavor. It also melts better when reheating.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
This zucchini boats recipe takes about 45 minutes to make in total, which can make it tricky for a weeknight meal. Here are a few ideas for advanced prep:
- Make the entire recipe in advance. Make the entire recipe in advance and refrigerate. The day of serving, top with breadcrumbs and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
- Make the filling and hollow out the boats in advance: You can make the entire filling and hollow out the boats 1 day in advance and refrigerate. Then just bake following the instructions below.
Dietary Notes
This zucchini boats recipe is gluten-free (sans breadcrumbs) and vegetarian. Here are some swaps:
- Gluten free: Omit the breadcrumbs or use gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko. (It tastes just as good without the crunchy topping!)
- Vegetarian: Use plant based sausage, crumbles, or 2 cups Vegan Ground Beef.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Stuffed zucchini boats are packed with a flavor-packed filling and melty cheese. Here’s how to bake them golden and tender (never soggy!).
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (2 boats per serving) 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- Olive oil, for rubbing
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
- 14 to 16 ounces plant based sausage, crumbles, or standard Italian sausage (or substitute 2 cups Vegan Taco Meat)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 15-ounces fire roasted crushed tomatoes**
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 6 tablespoons grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ cup whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned panko (or plain panko; omit or use gluten-free breadcrumbs for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut off the stem ends of the zucchini. Cut them each in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides with a spoon: you’ll want a thin edge around the outside of the boat. (Discard the pulp, or use it in smoothies or for another purpose.) Place the boats on a baking sheet and rub each with a bit of olive oil. Then sprinkle all 8 boats with a heaping ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon oregano and fresh ground black pepper, divided between the boats.
- Place the sausage in a medium skillet and cook according to the package instructions, 2 to 3 minutes for plant-based and 6 to 7 for regular sausage (for regular sausage, drain any excess fat after cooking). Add the garlic to the pan with the sausage and cook 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, fennel seed, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Heat for 1 minute until warmed through.
- Scoop the filling into the zucchini boats. Top with the mozzarella cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle with the panko.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes before serving, then sprinkle with basil as a garnish. Leftovers store up to 3 days refrigerated.
Notes
*For plant-based crumbles or sausage, we like Impossible or Beyond (we used Impossible sausage here). For a homemade version, try Vegan Ground Beef.
**Fire roasted tomatoes add the best flavor here: they taste sweet and smoky right out of the can. If you can’t find them, substitute best quality tomatoes with 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika. Or, use 1 ½ cups best quality marinara sauce.
I like your website and I’ve made several of your recipes. The stuffed zucchini was very good however in your ingredients, you list Italian seasoning and basil. Nowhere in the directions do you ever discuss when or where to add them. I’m a sophisticated enough cook that I could figure something out. But you should proofread your recipes a little better. Keep up the good work. Brad.
Hi there, thanks for the note! There is no Italian seasoning in the recipe but there is “Italian-seasoned panko”. However, there was a step missing for garnishing with basil at the end — I added that. Thank you so much!
Can I substitute the fire-roasted tomatoes with fresh tomatoes in this recipe?
No, I would not swap in fresh tomatoes — here the canned tomatoes are acting as a tomato sauce. A better swap would be a 15-oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce!
We have been making this since you first posted it several years ago.
It is a family favorite and in our summer weekly rotation.
Just wondering…anything similar with yellow squash?
Zucchini gets a lot more publicity than yellow, but we love it and have it coming
out of our ears from our garden.
Thanks !
This recipe for zucchini boats is the best I’ve ever had 5 stars
Thank you!
Wow! So delicious! This is the most flavorful zucchini dish I’ve ever eaten. The zucchini doesn’t get soggy. The breadcrumbs are crispy and the cheese makes it all taste amazing.
Fabulous idea to go with sausage and tomatoes. I usually do pancetta and the bread crumb route, but I love this variation!
http://www.chefmimiblog.com
I made this today with Beyond Burger and mushrooms. It was yummy!
Are These freezer friendly or will they thaw out mushy?
They probably wouldn’t freeze well.
Really delicious. Made this with pattypan. Only had diced tomatoes, so I just cooked it a little longer in the skillet. Chopped up the some zucchini flesh and cooked it with the vegan sausage.
I completely forgot to add the tomatoes to the sausage before filling the zucchini 🤦♀️ But they were delicious! My 12 year old said the spices were very yummy, and he’s not an adventurous eater. I did notice that the tomato is necessary to offset the bold flavor of fennel, without them it overpowers the sausage, but next time I’ll add it for sure!
If you’re not a fennel seed lover (like me), is there a viable substitute, or should it just be left out? Thanks!
I bet coriander would be great in it.
OMG! These Zucchini Boats are so good. We really enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing.
I found the recipe after your edits were added, and it’s clear now. :) They are baking as I type this! Wanted to thank you for your wonderful recipes. I decided to learn to cook this year and have been making 1-2 of your recipes every week this year, mostly the vegan and vegetarian ones. I appreciate the clear directions and tips. You are teaching me! I love the Friday mailing list recipes.
Wow, thank you so much! This means a lot and we are so excited that you’re able to make a few of our recipes every week. Thank you for doing that and please keep us posted on others you like or any questions you have! Thank you thank you!
What did you do with the flesh that was scooped out of the zucchini? I added it to the tomato/sausage mixture, then cooked it longer to reduce the moisture from cooking the zucchini flesh. Was this what was intended? The flesh is not addressed in the recipe, and I could not throw it away.
We discarded the pulp here — we added a note to the recipe! Thank you for adding this. You can certainly use it in the filling if you like! It doesn’t have a ton of nutritional benefits, so we discarded it. Thanks for the note!
I noticed there was no mention of what to do with the inside of the zucchini that was scooped out. I was thinking of cooking it and including it in the stuffing
Hi! Love your recipes; I just recently joined your site :) This recipe sound so yummy! I’m wondering about the “pulp” scooped out of the zucchinis, I hope it’s used in the recipe.
Thank you so much! The zucchini pulp is not used in the filling here: it doesn’t have a ton of nutritional value so we discard it here. You’re welcome to save to use in smoothies or in other ways!
Is there step 3.5 missing, scoop the frying contents into the boats, then go on to step 4?
4 zucchini, will give 8 boats, will the ingredients listed fill 8 boats?
Great question: we’ve updated the recipe accordingly to indicate to scoop into the boats! Yes, the filling ingredients fill 8 boats: 2 boats per serving! We’ve clarified that as well.