Italian Zucchini Boats

My husband Marc has mentioned in the past how his dad would make zucchini boats a lot when he was growing up. So when he brought it up again this week, I took the hint that he was craving it. I would never have thought of making it, so I love how he has become my muse. Of course I had to put my own spin on it though. I whipped up these amazing Italian zucchini boats for a low carb dinner and I was so happy I did! Let me tell you, I didn’t even miss the carbs and you all know that I love them so.

First, I prepared the zucchini for the Italian zucchini boats. I halved them and hollowed each half out with a spoon. Don’t worry, the flesh didn’t go to waste! I chopped it up and set it aside for the filling.
After I finished with the zucchini, I started on the yummy sausage, roasted pepper and onion filling. I also put in lots of fresh basil and seasoning for big flavor. The key was simmering that filling for 15 minutes, then thickening it with corn starch. Just the smell of it was incredible!
Once the filling was ready, it was time to assemble the Italian zucchini boats. I stuffed each boat to the brim and really packed it in. Then the final touch was a big sprinkle of parmesan and mozzarella on top for some cheesy, gooey goodness.

The Italian zucchini boats baked for just 20 minutes to soften the zucchini and melt the cheese. I couldn’t wait to dive in when they came out! Oh wow, I fell in love. It was one of my favorite combinations of sausage, pepper and onion, but without the usual carb overload. Marc went nuts for them too, so mission accomplished! It was so fun making one of his favorite childhood dishes with my own little spin. Hope you all love it too! xoxo

Italian Zucchini Boats
Italian Zucchini Boats
5 from 1 vote
Italian Zucchini Boats
Italian Zucchini Boats
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

These Italian zucchini boats are such a satisfying, low carb dinner loaded with sausage, roasted red peppers, onion and cheese.

Course: Main Course
Keyword: Italian Zucchini Boats, Zucchini
Servings: 8 zucchini boats
Calories: 162 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 4 whole large zucchini halved
  • 1 dash olive oil
  • 1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 jar roasted red peppers drained and roughly chopped, 12 ounce size
  • 1 whole onion diced small
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 5 leaves fresh basil roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • freshly grated parmesan as needed for topping
  • shredded mozzarella cheese as needed for topping
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a sheet tray with a silicone mat. Take the zucchini halves and hollow them out by scraping out the flesh with a spoon. Lay the hollowed out zucchini halves out on the sheet tray and roughly chop the flesh. Set the flesh aside. Then heat the olive oil in a large skillet with deep sides. Brown the sausage in it as you break it up. Then add the zucchini flesh, roasted peppers, onion, garlic and basil. Season the mixture with a generous pinch of the salt and pepper. The zucchini will start to release water and that's ok. Let the mixture simmer in the zucchini water for about 15 minutes, until it all almost evaporates.
  2. When the water is just about evaporated, add in the corn starch and stir it in well. Let it cook off and really thicken the mixture for a minute or two. Then take the pan off of the heat. Stuff each of the zucchini boats to the brim with the filling, packing it in tightly. Then sprinkle a generous amount of parmesan and mozzarella on top of each boat. Bake them for about 20 minutes, until the zucchini softens and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Italian Zucchini Boats
Amount Per Serving (1 zucchini boat)
Calories 162 Calories from Fat 59
% Daily Value*
Fat 6.5g10%
Saturated Fat 3.1g19%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 595mg26%
Potassium 558mg16%
Carbohydrates 12.4g4%
Fiber 3.6g15%
Sugar 4.9g5%
Protein 13.8g28%
Calcium 80mg8%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Italian Zucchini Boats
Italian Zucchini Boats

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14 thoughts on “Italian Zucchini Boats”

  1. Yum! These look so good. I’ve seen zucchini boats before, but I haven’t made them yet. And now I want to make them right now. I’ll have to try out this recipe on my family within the next week or so!

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)