This versatile stuffed zucchini recipe is a great way to use up a zucchini or summer squash surplus.
Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
Looking for a new way to make the most of your annual summer zucchini crop? In this easy baked stuffed zucchini recipe, hollowed-out zucchini make colorful “boats” that can be stuffed with an assortment of fillings for a quick dinner. You can easily do the same with summer squash, too.
Here, I stuffed my zucchini and squash halves with a filling of crumbled spicy Italian sausage, peppers, onions, tomatoes, rice, Parmesan, and fresh basil.
This stuffed zucchini recipe is a great way to use up a surplus of zucchini or summer squash. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
The key to any baked stuffed zucchini recipe is to find zucchini that are roughly equal in size so they’ll bake at the same speed. It also helps if they’re mostly straight in shape, rather than curved, so you can arrange them neatly on the baking sheet.
Cut the zucchini in half (leave the ends intact to keep the filling from leaking out during baking), use a teaspoon or melon baller to scoop out the inside, then brush with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes. While they’re baking, you can prepare your filling.
For the most colorful results, use a combination of zucchini and summer squash. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
Fill the partially baked zucchini, then pop the pan back into the oven to finish baking. If you want ’em extra cheesy, add your last bit of Parmesan a minute or two before they’re done.
Paired with a side salad and crusty bread, baked stuffed zucchini is a great summer supper option. The thing I love best about this recipe is that there are endless ways to adapt it. I’ve made a Mexican-inspired meatless stuffed zucchini using a mixture of rice, beans, veggies, and pepper jack cheese. I’ve also used a combination of homemade chunky tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil for a pizza-inspired version.
Do you have a favorite baked stuffed zucchini recipe? Let us know!
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
