Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This easy stuffed zucchini recipe incorporates Italian sausage, sweet basil, marinara sauce, and cheese layered in cored, fresh zucchini. Tomato paste thickens the sauce. Super simple — just 8 ingredients!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Recipe Type Baked, Fall, Garden Harvest, Healthy Choices, Healthy Dinner, Pork, Quick Dinner, Sausage, Served Hot, Spring Dinner, Summer, Summer Dinner, Turkey, Vegetables

Skill Level Easy

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 239kcal

Author Angela G.

Equipment

Ingredients

24 oz marinara sauce
1 lb ground Italian sausage
6 zucchinis
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper-
5 teaspoon garlic paste
1 medium onion diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoon minced fresh basil divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Prep two 9X13 baking dishes with cooking spray.
Prep zucchini. Wash and dry, slicing each zucchini in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the filling with a spoon, finely chop the filling, and place in a bowl for later. Place zucchini scoop-side up in a baking dish.
Brown sausage. In a large skillet set on medium high heat, add ground Italian sausage. Break up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
Prepare filling. Add olive oil into the skillet along with onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion has softened.
Add tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1 minute.
Next, add marinara, zucchini filling, and half of the fresh basil. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in cooked sausage and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Once done, remove from heat.
Fill. Scoop filling into zucchini boats. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
Garnish with remaining fresh basil and serve.

Notes

You do not need to remove seeds from the filling. They will soften and are edible.
I recommend Rao's brand marinara sauce. The flavor and quality is unmatched. It's pricey but worth it.
Tomato paste helps thicken the sauce. If you don't have this ingredient, it's OK to leave it out.
Use lean turkey sausage or plant-based sausage if you'd like.

Nutrition