Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Making Zucchini Boats is genuinely one of my favorite summer dinner recipes.
Perfectly tender baked zucchini loaded with sweet sausage, creamy tomato sauce, and cheese.
This zucchini recipe is just so flavorful and easy to make. With just five simple ingredients, you have a dinner that probably won’t have any leftovers. Deliciously stuffed zucchini are topped with cheese and baked to perfection in about 20 minutes.
Because this recipe uses Vodka sauce, you don’t need to season much more. It’s simple.
Zucchini Boats Recipe Highlights
- Just 5 ingredients make this recipe quick and easy to prepare.
- Sweet Italian sausage and mozzarella create a delicious filling.
- Using zucchini as a base adds a nutritious element to the dish.
- You can customize the filling to suit your taste or dietary needs.
- A fun way to get kids to enjoy their vegetables.
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
ZUCCHINI – You’ll want to look for medium-sized zucchini (about 6″ long and 2″ in diameter). I typically get 4 zucchinis. Small and medium-sized zucchinis are the most flavorful. You’ll want to look for ones that are free from dings and blemishes.
SAUSAGE – I use sweet Italian sausage in this recipe, but you can also look for hot Italian sausage if you like it a bit spicier.
SAUCE – Any tomato sauce will work, but for this recipe. You can try Marinara Sauce, Three Cheese Pasta Sauce, or whatever you like. I love to use Vodka Sauce for this recipe. Its sweet and creamy flavors work well with the zucchini and the sausage.
CHEESE – Combo Time! I love to combine Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Mozzarella gives it that yummy ooey-gooey texture, and Parmesan packs that extra punch of flavor.
Variations and Additions
This sweet sausage and vodka combination works super well and is my family’s favorite. But you can also substitute the sausage with:
- chicken sausage
- ground beef
- ground turkey
- rice – this is a great option for vegetarians
How To Make Zucchini Boats
This is such a great recipe that’s perfect for busy summer days.
- Wash the zucchini, cut off the ends, slice lengthwise, and scoop out the inside flesh. Discard the flesh or use it to make delicious Zucchini Bread.
- Place zucchini shells in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
- Brown, the sausage in a skillet, add Vodka sauce and simmer until heated.
- Fill zucchini shells with sausage mixture, sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake uncovered at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Zucchini boats with biscuits or crusty bread and one of these simple summer side salads.
German Cucumber Salad – A staple from childhood in Germany!
Watermelon and Orange Salad – Simply a great combination of texture and flavor.
Watermelon and Feta Salad – One of the most refreshing summer salads. Period.
Chopped Greek Salad – The recipe you need to make this restaurant a favorite at home.
German Tomato Salad – This salad is great for dinner or as a potluck salad.
And if you’re looking for more summer salad ideas, click here.
Leftovers and Storage
STORE – Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZE – You can freeze the cooked zucchini boats in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
REHEAT – Reheat in the oven at 350º Fahrenheit until warmed through, or microwave for a quicker option.
MAKE AHEAD – Prepare the zucchini shells and filling separately up to a day in advance. Store in the refrigerator and assemble just before baking.
Recipe Success Tips
DRAIN – After browning the sausage, drain any excess grease to prevent the filling from becoming too oily.
PRE-HEAT – Ensure your oven is fully preheated to 400º Fahrenheit before baking for even cooking.
FILLING – Don’t overfill the zucchini shells to prevent spilling during baking.
More Easy and Delicious Dinner Recipes
CHICKEN PARMESAN – Reader favorite! Find out why thousands of readers love this recipe.
CHICKEN CACCIATORE – This dish is made with chicken braised in a tomato-based sauce with onions, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, and olives.
SHRIMP CARBONARA – A simple carbonara gets a new life with delicious shrimp.
TACO CASSEROLE – Layered taco casserole the entire family is obsessed with.
POTATO PANCAKES – Served with a side of apple sauce. Delicious!
Please take a moment to rate our Zucchini Boats recipe below!
Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini wash, cut of end piece, slice lengthwise in half, scoop out the flesh
- 15 ounce Vodka Sauce
- 16 ounces sweet Italian sausage
- 1 cup Mozzarella shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
- Wash the zucchini, cut off the end pieces, and slice each zucchini lengthwise in half. Take a spoon to scoop out the inside flesh. Discard zucchini flesh or use it to make some delicious Zucchini Bread.
- Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place zucchini shells skin side down and season the inside of the zucchini with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Brown sausage in a large skillet. Use a wooden spoon (or this magical tool) to break up the sausage. Once fully cooked, add the Vodka sauce to the skillet. Continue to simmer until heated through.
- Fill each zucchini shell with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Equipment
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.
These look stellar. Pretty soon I will have a boatload of zucchini. This is definitely on my list.
I absolutely love zucchini, but somehow I’ve never had zucchini boats before! I think I’d like to try this with the ground beef, and the rice too. SO many great options!
Ooooh, such a great use for zucchini! I can see why it is one of your summer favorites. Looks amazing with all that cheese.
These turned out so great and they were so easy to make! Awesome dinner the whole family loved.
I love making these for those days when I am craving a pizza but don’t want to eat a pizza.
This recipe sounds wonderful! I like the format that you use for your recipes. I haven’t tried it yet because I am waiting for home grown zucchini. Your recipe card says: “PREP TIME: 9 hours 15 minutes.” Maybe just 15 minutes. . .
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Awe, thank you, Kathy! You’re very kind, thank you. It is a typo and I’ll look after it. Thank you, again. 🙂