Italian Zucchini Boats
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These Italian zucchini boats are filled with a hearty mushroom mixture and topped with your favorite pizza toppings. They’re easy, wholesome, and delicious!
Time to make your weeknight meal routine exciting again.
These Italian-inspired stuffed zucchini boats are 100% vegan but have all the heartiness and flavor of meat-filled zucchini boats!
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Now that you have a delicious dinner for tonight with these vegetable zucchini boats, let me help you with tomorrow (and the day after!)
Even picky eaters won’t be able to resist vegan tacos and vegetarian pot roast.
Why You’ll Love This Italian Zucchini Boats Recipe
- With a hearty filling packed with Italian-inspired flavors, these stuffed zucchini boats will surely please vegans and meat lovers!
- These vegetable zucchini boats make a wholesome main dish! You can even sneak in more nutritious ingredients to the filling.
- Making these delicious zucchini boats is easier than you think using simple ingredients. The filling is all made in 1 pan, and prepping the boats is actually fun!
Ingredients And Substitutions
Zucchinis – Their relatively neutral flavor makes them the perfect vessel for this recipe’s Italian-inspired veggie filling!
Sea salt – You’ll salt your zucchini boats to draw out any excess moisture. Don’t forget to season the filling with salt as well.
Extra virgin olive oil – For cooking the filling.
Red onion, red bell pepper, and fresh garlic – For building a delicious flavor base.
Baby Bella mushrooms – These vegan stuffed zucchini boats ditch ground meat for mushrooms. And if you’re feeling extra hungry, add quinoa to the filling!
Ground black pepper and Italian seasoning – To amp up the deliciousness of our Italian zucchini boats.
Tomato basil sauce – You can use your favorite pasta sauce. Marinara sauce will be amazing!
Cherry tomatoes, black olives, and pepperoncini peppers – Pizza who? These meatless zucchini boats will surely hit the spot. You can also top them with vegan mozzarella cheese.
Basil leaves – Basil for garnish is the perfect final touch to the cooked zucchini boats. It easily complements the Italian flavors!
Tips For Making This Recipe
Prep the Boats with Ease
Score the zucchini slices lightly so you can outline the part you’ll scoop out with the tip of a spoon. Remember to leave a rim of flesh around each boat so it’ll still be sturdy when filled.
Save the Zucchini Flesh
You can add the zucchini flesh to the filling! Just make sure to chop up the large chunks and press them into a strainer to remove the excess moisture.
Storage Tips
Transfer leftover Italian zucchini boats to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, microwave on High for about 40 to 60 seconds until heated through.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe FAQs
Do you eat the skin on zucchini boats?
Yup! You don’t need to peel these vegan Italian zucchini boats. In fact, leaving it on will help keep each boat sturdy for the filling.
How to make stuffed zucchini boats not soggy?
Remember to salt your zucchini boats to draw out the excess moisture. Additionally, wipe the boats before you fill them, and don’t bake them for too long.
Can you freeze baked zucchini boats?
It won’t be a good idea to freeze these vegetable zucchini boats as they’ll likely get mushy after thawing.
What can I stuff other than zucchini?
Yellow squash is sturdy and ideal for holding this recipe’s veggie filling if you don’t have zucchinis!
What to serve with vegan zucchini boats?
These Italian stuffed zucchini boats are already hearty on their own, so a simple, comforting bowl of cabbage soup or some grilled beet flatbread salad on the side are all you’ll need for a complete dish.
More Delicious Vegan Main Dish Recipes
- Vegetarian Pot Pie
- Meatless Meatballs
- Vegan Enchiladas
- Vegan Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
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Italian Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 zucchinis
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large red onion, sliced into half moons
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 8 oz Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2/3 cup tomato basil sauce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced
- 4 to 5 basil leaves, chopped for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly drizzle a 9 x 13 baking dish with olive oil.
- Cut the zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out their insides, leaving around 1/4 inches of flesh on all sides.
- Lightly sprinkle the boats with sea salt and arrange on the baking dish.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions and peppers and saute for 10 minutes or until the onions begin to caramelize.
- Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the mushrooms. Cook for 4 minutes until the liquids are released.
- Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then remove from heat.
- Wipe out the salt and water from the zucchini boats.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the pasta sauce in the bottom of each zucchini boat. Top with the mushroom mix, tomatoes, olives, and pepperoncini peppers.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes burst.
- Serve with freshly chopped basil on top, and enjoy!
Notes
- Score the zucchini slices lightly so you can outline the part you’ll scoop out with the tip of a spoon. Remember to leave a rim of flesh around each boat so it’ll still be sturdy when filled.
- You can add the zucchini flesh to the filling! Just make sure to chop up the large chunks and press them into a strainer to remove the excess moisture.
- Transfer leftover Italian zucchini boats to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, microwave on High for about 40 to 60 seconds until heated through.
