Best Italian Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; chop pulp. Place zucchini shells in a large microwave-safe dish. In batches, microwave, covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender., In a large skillet, cook sausage and zucchini pulp over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs and pepper. Spoon into zucchini shells., Place in 2 ungreased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Bake, covered, 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with additional minced parsley.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Measure one cup of marinara sauce and set aside.
• Trim the ends from the zucchini and slice them in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scrape the inside of the zucchini forming a cavity, being careful not to cut through.
• Place the zucchini boats in a 9 x 13" baking dish and add a cup of water. Cover with foil then bake for 20 minutes or until just slightly fork tender. Remove from oven, remove foil and set aside to cool slightly.
• While the zucchini is cooking, add the olive oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, onions, peppers, and garlic to the pan, and stir until fully combined. Cook, stirring to break up the ground turkey as it cooks. Cook until the meat is cooked and the vegetables have softened. If there is too much grease, drain off as much as possible. and return skillet to the heat.
• Add the remaining 2 cups marinara sauce, parsley and spices and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the spices if necessary.
• Remove the zucchini from the baking dish and drain off the water. Pour the 1 cup marinara on the bottom of the dish and place the zucchini on top of the sauce.
• Fill the zucchini cavities with the meat sauce. If you have extra, add it around the zucchini or save it to enjoy with pasta another day. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. or until zucchini is fork tender.
• Remove dish from oven and set the oven to broil. Remove the foil then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, then the parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and then the breadcrumbs evenly over the six zucchini boats.
• Place dish in the oven and broil for approximately 2 minutes, with the door open, until the cheese has melted and golden in colour.
• *I used my Basil Tomato Sauce Recipe #447975.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. Hollow out the zucchini. Place the scraped out zucchini into a medium bowl. Combine zucchini, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, burger-style crumbles and pasta sauce. Mix well.
• Place mixture into hollowed out zucchini. Arrange zucchini in a baking dish, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; bake for 40 minutes.

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED ZUCCHINI SQUASH (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• To toast pine nuts, place them in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden or about 5 minutes.
• Place the zucchini halves in the bottom of an oval shaped slow cooker.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the tomato sauce and vinegar.
• In another small bowl, combine the onions, garlic, rice, parsley, basil, pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce-vinegar mixture.
• Fill the zucchini halves with the rice mixture.
• Top with the remaining tomato sauce-vinegar mixture.
• Cover and cook on LOW until the rice is tender, 4 to 6 hours.
• Garnish with the pine nuts, fresh herbs, and cheese.
• Makes 2 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a small baking dish with foil. Scoop out the seeds from the zucchini, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell.
• Combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend, the parsley, capicola and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper, then fill with the ricotta mixture.
• Drizzle each zucchini half with about 1 tablespoon marinara sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend. Transfer to the baking dish and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Wash zucchini, cut in half and scoop out seeds.
• Sprinkle scooped zucchini with salt and pepper and olive oil then place on hot grill or pan for 2-3 minutes.
• Sauté ground sausage till browned.
• In a bowl, combine scallions, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, red pepper and pine nuts.
• Add sausage to mixture.
• Spoon mixture into scooped out zucchini and sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese.
• Place in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS OR ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Brown ground meat with onion and garlic. Add rice, water, and sauce. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is done.
• Meanwhile, shred cheese. Wash and split peppers or zucchini. Split the peppers into thirds or quarters, depending on size. Or split zucchini in half. Remove seeds from peppers or scoop out the seeded center of zucchini, leaving about 1/2 inch all around. Arrange peppers or zucchini in a 9"x13" or 10"x15" pan, hollow side up.
• When the meat-rice mixture is cooked, turn off heat. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Stuff the peppers or zucchini. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce. Bake uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes for peppers, or 45 minutes for zucchini, until heated through and sauce is bubbly.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Scrub and cut off ends of zuc and cook in boiling water or put in mic cut in half lenghtwise, scoop out pulp leaving shell, save pulp Brown sauage and onion and spoon off fat. Mix with next 6 ing and the pulp. Pile in shell in baking dish anddot each one with butter and Parmesan. Cover with sauce Bake at 350 for 30 min.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI ITALIAN STYLE

Steps:

• In large skillet, brown sausage.
• Drain well.
• In same skillet, saute onion & garlic 5 minutes in oil.
• Cut zucchini in half - remove seeds from center, reserving meaty party and cutting into cube approximate 1/2" in size, leaving boat shell for stuffing.
• In large bowl mix together sausage, bread crumbs, seasonings, egg, onion, garlic and tomatoes and cubed zucchini.
• Mix to just combine.
• Stuff into zucchini boats and place in 9x13 baking dish.
• Pour entire can of tomato sauce over stuffed boats.
• Bake un-covered in 375º oven approximately 45 minutes.
• Place cheese (tear to fit boats or use shredded) & place on top of tomato sauce.
• Return to oven for approximately 10 minutes - cheese should bubble.
• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED ZUCCHINI (KID-FRIENDLY)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and hollow out the center using a spoon to create a "boat". Lay each half, face-up, on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir tomatoes, crackers, corn, olives, mushrooms, salsa, garlic, Italian seasoning, and oregano together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook and stir tomato mixture in a skillet over medium heat until all liquid evaporates, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon tomato mixture into zucchini "boats". Top each "boat" with Gouda cheese.
• Bake stuffed zucchini "boats" in the oven until tender and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Split zucchini lengthwise after cutting off the very ends.
• Scoop out seeds from center of zucchini allowing 1-2 inches of flesh on the outside of the "boat." (I cut a small amount off the under side of each boat to allow it to lay flat.).
• Place boats on large jelly roll pan. (I cover the pan with aluminum foil to make clean up easier.).
• In large skillet, begin browning sausage, mushrooms, and onion. When mixture is about half done, add garlic. Continue to cook until meat is cooked through.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir in bread crumbs, cream cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and blend well.
• Spoon mixture into zucchini boats.
• Heat in oven for 30-35 minutes or until zucchini gives easily when stuck with a fork.
• Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and cook an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and slice to serve.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Trim stems from zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and put in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix together seeds, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
• Stuff zucchini with sausage mixture and place in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Pour spaghetti sauce over stuffed zucchini and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• Cover with aluminum foil and cook for an hour, or until sausage is completely cooked through.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside. In a small saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan and let the couscous stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside. In the meantime, in a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high. Cook the sausage, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain and place the sausage in a large bowl. Add the couscous, tomatoes, and parsley. Place the squash halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up, and season with salt and pepper. Fill zucchini shells with the couscous mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Remove pan from the oven, sprinkle squash with the mozzarella and place the pan under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• 1. SAUCE: Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they are soft and translucent (not browned). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• 2. Carefully add tomatoes and salt (they will splatter!). If using canned whole tomatoes, crush them with your hands as they go in. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
• 3. MEATBALLS: Wet slices of bread and quickly squeeze out the moisture. Shred the bread into a large bowl. Add eggs, Parmesan (use low fat if desired), Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and chopped parsley and mix.
• 4. Add meat (use the bison for a lower fat content - no one will know!) and gently combine everything.
• 5. COMPOSE: Slice the large zucchini into 2-inch drums. Using an apple corer, core out the center of the flesh containing seeds of each drum.
• 6. Gently stuff the meat mixture into each zucchini drum.
• 7. Place them in the simmering sauce. Make meatballs with leftover meat mixture and place them in the simmering sauce. Cover and cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, turning the zucchini and meatballs one time, or until the meat is cooked through.
• 8. Serve over spaghetti noodles with additional Parmesan cheese.