These vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are savory and delicious! Easy to make, they’re filled with mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, basil & Kalamata olives, then baked in a marinara sauce. Vegetarian, with a video.
The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.
Lao tzu
Here’s a delicious zucchini recipe from our vegetarian restaurant. Stuffed zucchini boats! As a chef, I love recipes that are easily adaptable to differing diets. We made a vegetarian version here, but you could easily add ground sausage or meat for meat eaters, or make them entirely vegan! Either way, you’ll have a healthy dinner that is veggie-forward, gluten-free, and low-carb.
Whether you’re looking for a fun, healthy, flavorful zucchini dinner or a creative way to use up your summer zucchini harvest, stuffed zucchini boats are a tasty, delicious addition to your menu. Looking for more, check out Zucchini Lasagna and 30 Best Zucchini Recipes for more inspiration.
Why You Will Love This Stuffed Zucchini!
- Adaptable: You can customize the filling according to your taste preferences and dietary restrictions. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables, add protein, cheeses, and fresh herbs to create your own unique combination.
- Flavorful and Savory: The combination of sautéed mushrooms, garlic, bell peppers, olives, and aromatic herbs like oregano and basil creates a burst of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds.
- Gluten-Free, Vegan-adaptable, and Keto-Friendly: If you’re following a gluten-free, low-carb or keto diet, stuffed zucchini boats are a great option. They are a delicious alternative to traditional pasta dishes. Vegan, use our vegan ricotta!
Zucchini Boat Ingredients
- Garlic cloves– Use fresh garlic for optimum punchy flavor.
- Red pepper flakes– If you prefer a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes to the filling. Adjust the amount according to your taste preference.
- Mushrooms– Cremini or your choice! They add a savory and earthy flavor to the filling.
- Bell pepper– Vibrant bell pepper for added color and sweetness. Orange, yellow, or red bell peppers are all great options.
- Kalamata– Kalamata olives provide a tangy and salty element to the filling. Black or green olives are good too.
- Zucchini– Medium to large squash are great for stuffing. The scooped-out flesh is sautéed into the filling.
- Oregano– Dried or fresh if you prefer.
- Salt & black pepper– Adjust to taste.
- Tomato sauce– Choose a good-quality tomato sauce or marinara for a rich flavor. Try this Roasted Tomato Sauce or Easy Marinara Sauce.
- Ricotta– Or try our Vegan Ricotta. Feel free to replace it with fresh mozzarella, grated mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, or cheddar cheese.
- Parmesan cheese– We love the salty pungency. For a vegan version, try Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle.
- Fresh basil– just the perfect summer flavor.
- Optional ingredients: Italian sausage, seasoned ground beef, ground turkey or chicken, pine nuts, walnuts, more veggies, and diced onion. Cannellini beans, quinoa, rice.
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Zucchini Boats
Step One– Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center ( I find a melon baller works great here, a sharp spoon, or a grapefruit knife), hollowing out and removing the zucchini pulp, creating a little boat. Save and chop up the scooped-out part and set aside.
Step Two– Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and zucchini flesh, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes until most liquid has evaporated.
Step Three– Add bell pepper, olives, and spinach and stir for about 1 minute until the spinach is wilted. Turn the heat off. Stir in marinara and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, and taste to make sure it’s flavorful.
Step Four– Add the remaining sauce to the bottom of the skillet or heavy pan. Set the zucchini shells in the pan. Mound the filling into the hollowed-out shells and nestle in a few dollops of ricotta on top of each one. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Step Five- Bake for 15-20 minutes, covered or with a lid on, until the zucchini shell is fork-tender. (Bigger squash with thicker shells will take longer). Uncover and broil for 5 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Serve with lots of fresh basil leaves!
What to Serve with Zucchini Boats
Health Benefits of Zucchini
- Hydration: Zucchini is mostly water, which helps keep you hydrated. Staying hydrated is important for body temperature, skin health, and organ function.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Zucchini is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like potassium and manganese. These nutrients support immune function, cellular health, bone health, and the production of collagen, which is essential for healthy skin.
- Antioxidant Properties: Zucchini is rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene, which protect cells from damage and help lower inflammation, reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
- Heart and Digestive Health: Zucchini is a good source of dietary fiber, which supports digestion. Its fiber and low sodium content promote heart health, help lower cholesterol, and maintain blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease.
- Blood Sugar Regulation: Zucchini has a low glycemic index, so it doesn't quickly raise blood sugar levels. Its fiber also helps regulate blood sugar, making it a good choice for people with diabetes or those managing their blood sugar.
More Recipes You May Enjoy
Enjoy!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Watch How to Make Zucchini Boats | Video
Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner, dinner idea, Side Dish, vegetarian main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Tender zucchini is stuffed with a savory vegetarian filling of mushrooms, bell peppers, olives and spinach, topped with ricotta & baked in a marinara sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced in small pieces
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 pound of zucchini – 1 large, 2 medium, or 3 small squash
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach, about two good size handfuls
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce – divided, store-bought or make your own.
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (divided), freshly grated
- Garnish- fresh basil leaves
- See notes for optional additions, like browned Italian Sausage
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Prep Zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon ( a melon baller works great or a grapefruit knife), scoop out the center, hollowing out the zucchini like a little boat. Save the scooped-out part, chop it, and set it aside.
- Saute. In a large skillet, sauté garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and zucchini flesh, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the bell pepper, olives, and spinach and stir for about 1 minute until the spinach is wilted. Turn the heat off. Stir in 1/2 cup marinara sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan.
- Season. Taste and adjust salt and pepper- you want this to be flavorful.
- Assemble. Add the remaining marinara sauce to the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, large skillet, or heavy pan. Set the zucchini boats over the marinara. Mound the filling into the hollowed-out boats and nestle in a few dollops of ricotta on top of each one. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Cover for 20 minutes with foil or a lid, until the zucchini is fork-tender. (Bigger squash with thicker shells may take longer). Uncover and broil for 5 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Notes
Optional ingredients: Browned Italian sausage, seasoned cooked ground beef, ground turkey or chicken, pine nuts, walnuts, more veggies, or diced onion.
Make ahead. You can make stuffed zucchini boats ahead of time and reheat them. After filling the zucchini shells, cover them tightly or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply heat them in a preheated oven.
Storage. Leftover Zucchini boats will keep up to 4 days in the fridge and can be reheated in a 350F oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 311
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 918.8 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 16.8 g
- Cholesterol: 53.6 mg
Zucchini Boats Faqs
Yes, you can add meat to the filling of stuffed zucchini boats if desired. Cooked Italian sausage, seasoned ground beef or turkey are great options for adding protein and extra flavor. Season and brown the meat before adding it to the filling mixture.
Yes, you can make stuffed zucchini boats ahead of time and reheat them. After filling the zucchini boats, cover them tightly with foil or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat them in a preheated oven.
Absolutely! While ricotta and Parmesan cheese add delicious flavors to stuffed zucchini boats, you can experiment with different cheeses to suit your taste preferences. Some options include vegan ricotta, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, or even a combination of cheeses.
Not all of them can be winners, and here’s an example of that. « Easy to make in 30 minutes. » REALLY? How? It took 30 minutes just to try to carve the zucchini out of itself with a spoon. Spoons are not optimal for this. Dunno what is. I tried a serrated grapefruit knife and had hardly more luck. The balance of stuffing you can already tell is off if you’re a regular home chef. I used less mushroom, pepper, and spinach than called for, and I still had no room left for the ricotta. Ratios—off.
Flavor? Meh. If you’re used to the amazing stuffed peppers (that I always make vegetarian too) you have something already hollow and easy to fill. And I LOVE zucchini and am trying to eat it allll at the end of summer. I’d pass on this one. This site is full of great recipes, all of which I’ve given 5 stars to so far.
Hi Stephanie, Sorry this did not work for you. Thanks for the feedback.
How do you recommend this as a make ahead for a party?
Hi Laura, After filling the zucchini boats, cover them tightly and store in the refrigerator. Before baking let them come to room temperature- about 30 minutes while the oven preheats. Cook them according to the recipe.
Thank you. A tip for the person who struggled making the boats. A grapefruit knife works really well.
Great idea Laura, I will add to the notes. 🙂
Amazing! I’m already craving the leftovers. I used ground Italian sausage instead of mushrooms, but I think both would be tasty. Served with a bit of crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Sounds delicious Melissa! Thanks for taking time to review.
I quess this could this be baked in AIR-fryer.. do you have any suggest how to adapt it? Tnx
Hi Ana, I haven’t tried but I am sure it would work. It could get juicy?
My grocery store has a bin of random produce in bags for $1. I always grab something and then love to figure out what to make with it. This was a great use of my $1 zucchini this week. Good call on the 1/2 tsp of salt because the parm and olives added the perfect amount of salt. And, I don’t like throwing food out so I added a leftover sausage. Was fabulous… Thanks!!
Love it Pam. So resourceful and a satisfying challenge! Glad you enjoyed this one- sausage sounds yummy!
I love your recipes. I have made many of them. Although, your prep time is WAY off. I made this recipe, which is good, but it took 60 minutes just get it into the oven.(I even had some help from my hubby). I have been cooking for 60 years, so it isn’t because I am new to cooking! You might consider revising your prep times for all your recipes.
Hi Kristin, thanks for the feedback. We will update the prep time. 🙂
Loved this!
Yay, great to hear!
Super flavorful and so easy to adapt to ingredients I had on hand! I par baked my large zucchini for about 7 minutes before filling and then baked another 10 mins once filled.
Perfect, so happy you enjoyed Sharon!
Easy to make and super tasty. Added quinoa to the filling. The zucchini looked to be the same size as your recipe photo but mine took considerably longer to cook. I will be making this one again.
Glad you enjoyed Cindy!
Second time making this deliciousness 🌼
Yay, great to hear Susie!
Like everyone else, we found these delicious, especially on days following 🙂
Great to hear Katherine, leftovers are often better!
I made these tonight and they were absolutely delicious!! I added quinoa which I cooked with chopped onions and peppers. I also added Italian chicken sausage. The zucchini shells were pretty thick so I baked them empty for 10 minutes and then filled them. They came out perfect! I can see myself making these quite often!
Great to hear Linda!
These are unbelievably good! I added your vegan chorizo and quinoa. The vegan chorizo is fantastic by the way. I topped them off with vegan basil Parmesan, and vegan almond ricotta. This is a perfect make ahead delicious dinner for company. I’m going to make extra filling and freeze it. It would be great in a taco or a lettuce wrap. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Great to hear this Sandy. Love how you adapted, sounds amazing!
Made this while I was at my parent’s house and it was insanely delicious! I added ground wagu beef and subbed fresh corn for the bell pepper because my mom is allergic to them. We are all still talking about how much we enjoyed them. Probably my favorite recipe I have tried so far from your website – and I have made quite a few. Seriously love all of your recipes!
Hi Trace, So great to hear you all enjoyed and love how you adapted!
Hi there, I have these made and ready for the oven. I am wondering if it would be okay to refrigerate them and cook tomorrow, or if I should bake them now and reheat them instead. They look great and I am looking forward to tasting them. Thank you.
It should be fine to refrigerate and then bake tomorrow!
Thanks Tonia, good to know for the future. As it turned out I ended up baking them tonight as I had unexpected company. They were delicious! We all loved them. I made a spicy marinara sauce, and didn’t use any add ins at all. Substituted mozzarella for the ricotta, because that’s what I had. I have saved this recipe to my favourites, as I know I will make it often.
So glad it worked out Sandy- it is a perfect recipe for adapting!
Delicious! I made this with your Roasted Tomato Sauce rather than marinara as I had just made a batch of the sauce. I also added 1 cup of cannellini beans at the same time as spinach to add a bit more protein. And, as suggested, I served with your Caesar salad. Will definitely make again. Thanks.
Oh perfect Victoria, so glad to hear you enjoyed. Fresh sauce definitely elevates!
This is fabulous I made it Minus the Ricotta. So so good
So glad you enjoyed Eveline!