Best 5 Italian Zucchini Boats Recipes

ITALIAN-STYLE ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Drizzle olive oil on zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until zucchini is fork-tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• While zucchini is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef with onion and garlic until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic salt.
• Combine tomato paste with 1 cup of water in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Drain fat from beef mixture if needed. Add tomato paste mixture and heat through. Turn off heat, add fresh basil leaves, and mix until well blended.
• Remove zucchini from the oven; leave the oven on. Scoop meat mixture generously into each zucchini quarter and sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

BAKED ITALIAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 3/8-in. shell. Reserve pulp. Cook shells in salted water for 2 minutes. Remove and drain. Set aside. Chop zucchini pulp. Transfer to a large bowl; add the bread crumbs, eggs, tomato, Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic. Stir in broth, salt and pepper. Fill shells zucchini shells., Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF IN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Scoop out and discard zucchini seeds, leaving the hollowed-out shells. Sprinkle the garlic salt into the hollowed-out zucchini, and set aside. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, basil, carrot, and Parmesan cheese together with the onion mixture. Stuff the zucchini halves with the meat mixture, and place them into a baking dish. Spoon about half the spaghetti sauce over the zucchini, covering all the meat and allowing sauce to drip down the sides of the zucchini boats.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meat is no longer pink in the center and the zucchini are tender, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the zucchini, and return to oven until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes. Heat the remaining spaghetti sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat while the zucchini boats are cooking. Serve the zucchini boats with the additional sauce on the side.

ITALIAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; set aside. Chop zucchini pulp; set aside. , Crumble sausage into a small skillet; add onion and celery. Cook over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the croutons, 2 tablespoons cheese and zucchini pulp. Spoon into zucchini shells. , Place in an ungreased baking dish; add 1/4 in. of water. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Split zucchini lengthwise after cutting off the very ends.
• Scoop out seeds from center of zucchini allowing 1-2 inches of flesh on the outside of the "boat." (I cut a small amount off the under side of each boat to allow it to lay flat.).
• Place boats on large jelly roll pan. (I cover the pan with aluminum foil to make clean up easier.).
• In large skillet, begin browning sausage, mushrooms, and onion. When mixture is about half done, add garlic. Continue to cook until meat is cooked through.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir in bread crumbs, cream cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and blend well.
• Spoon mixture into zucchini boats.
• Heat in oven for 30-35 minutes or until zucchini gives easily when stuck with a fork.
• Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and cook an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and slice to serve.