Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats
These sausage stuffed zucchini boats are cheesy and delicious, and have my whole family’s stamp of approval. They’re a great way to use up extra garden zucchini, and healthy-ish while still tasting like pure comfort food. Plus they’re simple to make and require only 6 ingredients, making them a perfect easy meal for any night of the week!
Recipe Overview: Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy!
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 mins
- 🥣 Cook Time: 15 mins
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: 30 mins
- 👪 Serves: 6 servings
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Zucchini, ground Italian sausage, onion, garlic cloves, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: With just six ingredients and ready in 30 minutes, this is a great way to use summer Zucchini and have a flavorable Italian dinner that is not “heavy.”
- ⚠️ What to Watch For: Choose the size of your zucchini carefully. Go with Medium-sized. If they are too small they can’t be scooped out easily if they are too large, the baking time increases.
Summarize & Save this Content on:
Zucchini boats are such a fun option when you’re craving something cozy and hearty, but also don’t want to go overboard with a heavy meal. Skip that big bowl of pasta, and make these sausage stuffed zucchini boats instead!
They’re especially perfect during the summer months when gardens and farmer’s markets are overflowing with zucchini, but I make them year-round because they’re simple, family-friendly, and ready in about 30 minutes. If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to use fresh zucchini, this recipe won’t disappoint.
Key Ingredients
I’ve seen lots of variations with fun mix-ins and different themes (lasagna, pizza, taco, you name it!) While those all look awesome, I wanted to keep things sweet and simple. My sausage stuffed zucchini boats require just 6 ingredients (full recipe below):
- Fresh zucchini: This recipe calls for 3 medium zucchini, but you can also use 4 or 5 small zucchini or 2 larger zucchini. Medium-sized is ideal because they’re large enough to fill but still tender and will cook quickly.
- Italian sausage: Use mild or hot Italian sausage depending on how spicy you like it. Chicken or turkey Italian sausage work too.
- Marinara sauce: Use your favorite jarred marinara or homemade sauce.
- Mozzarella cheese: Freshly shredded mozzarella melts best, but pre-shredded works fine for convenience.
- Onions and garlic: Add flavor to the filling.
Recipe variations
- Leave out the sausage for a vegetarian option.
- Add chopped mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers to the filling.
- Add Parmesan along with mozzarella, or use pepper jack or provolone cheeses.
- Add fresh herbs like basil, thyme or rosemary.
- Add red pepper flakes for more spice.
How to make sausage stuffed zucchini boats
- Prep zucchini: Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the centers with a spoon, then give the scooped zucchini flesh a rough chop.
- Cook sausage and veggies: Brown sausage first, then add onion, garlic, and chopped zucchini.
- Stir in marinara sauce.
- Assemble zucchini “boats”: Spoon mixture into the hollowed out zucchini and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake until mozzarella cheese is melted and zucchini is tender, about 15-20 minutes (larger zucchini may take longer).
Ways to serve these zucchini boats
These sausage stuffed zucchini boats are a light meal all by themselves, but I also like to serve them with buttered pasta or steamed rice. A simple side salad would be awesome too!
More savory zucchini recipes
- Southwest Chicken Skillet with Corn and Zucchini
- Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- Pan Fried Zucchini Chips
- Tomato Zucchini Pie
Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini (see Notes)
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage , mild or hot
- ½ onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper , as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the insides of the zucchini. Give the zucchini a rough chop and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage for about 3-4 minutes until it's browned.
- Add chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped zucchini to the skillet and cook until sausage is cooked all the way through and veggies are softened, about another 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in marinara sauce.
- Arrange zucchini boats onto the prepared baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon sausage mixture into each and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake until cheese is melted and sausage is a little bit bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Use a fork to test that the zucchini is also tender, if you used a larger zucchini or if your boats are a little thicker, you may need to increase cook time.
- Serve and enjoy, storing leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
- This recipe calls for 3 medium zucchini (6-8 inches/6-10 oz), but you can also use 4 or 5 small zucchini (5-6 inches/4-6 oz) or 2 larger zucchini (8-10 inches/10-14 oz). Smaller the zucchini will be more difficult to scoop out the centers, and larger zucchini will have more flesh and require a longer bake time. I do not recommend using extra-large zucchini (12+ inches/20+ oz).
- Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce or make your own. I have an easy marinara recipe here.
Hi Annalise,
Will the zucchini boat itself cook through in just 20 minutes?
Thank you!
Kristen Berry
Yes it will! If you scoop out all of the flesh from the inside so it’s just a thick skin “boat” it should be fork tender but not soggy after 20 minutes. Hope this helps!