This Easy Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini recipe is a delicious, complete summer meal loaded with savory ground beef, melty mozzarella, and your favorite marinara sauce!
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Pin RecipeItalian Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
If you have a garden during the summer, there’s a point in the season when you’re absolutely desperate to use zucchini any way you can.
Fried Zucchini! Zucchini Bread! Zucchini Casserole! Anything goes. However, if you haven’t made stuffed zucchini yet, you’re missing out!
Full of rich, savory flavor, it’s also low-carb, gluten-free, and full of nutrients. As a result, it satisfies your tastebuds without leaving you feeling too full or heavy. You get veggies, protein, and plenty of melty cheese all in one meal. So, you don’t even need to add a side dish!
Of course, you should probably make a summertime dessert to cap off a perfect meal. Stuffed zucchini for dinner with a strawberry pie for dessert sounds like the best meal ever!
(Looking for a savory zucchini recipe that comes together a little bit faster? You’ll love my Sautéed Zucchini and Tomatoes!)
Recipe Ingredients
To print: see recipe card below
- 4 medium zucchini or large zucchini – A medium-sized fresh zucchini will weigh about 8 ounces. Make sure the skin is a nice, dark green. Straight zucchini, without any curves, will work best for this recipe.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef – I like to use 80/20 ground beef. The extra fat helps make tender, juicy zucchini boats. Feel free to use leaner meat if desired.
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic – One teaspoon of minced garlic is about one large clove of garlic.
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 2 cups marinara sauce – Any brand of marinara sauce will work! I like sauce that is a little chunky so the the stuffed zucchini has some nice tomato pieces.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Variations
- Try using ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage in place of ground beef.
- Grab a pasta sauce that already contains beef to save a little time. Skip the ground beef portion of the recipe, and just use the meat sauce instead.
- Use yellow summer squash in place of zucchini for a whole new twist on stuffed zucchini boats. Yellow squash has a milder, sweeter flavor that is quite delicious.
- Swap the beef with your favorite plant-based meat crumbles or black beans for a vegetarian recipe.
Directions for How to Make Stuffed Zucchini
- Prepare: Before you begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.
- Create the zucchini shells: Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Then, use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the zucchini flesh, making a long well in each zucchini. Arrange the zucchini halves flesh side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle the tops with salt, and set aside.
- Brown the beef: Add the ground beef to a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon until it’s no longer pink. Then, drain the excess fat from the pan.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pan with the beef. Cook for 4 minutes or until the veggies soften. Str in the marinara sauce, and add the basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Fill the zucchini: Use a paper towel to pat the zucchini dry. Then, brush olive oil on top. Scoop the beef mixture into each oat, dividing it evenly.
- Bake the zucchini: Transfer the zucchini to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove the baking dish from the oven, and sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan on top. Return the stuffed zucchini to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
Pair your cheesy stuffed zucchini with a simple side salad. Or, enjoy it with an Italian-inspired salad like Italian Pasta Salad or Antipasto Salad. It’s also great with a side of Homemade Garlic Bread!
How to Store
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat your stuffed zucchini in 30-second increments in the microwave, or warm it in the oven.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe!
Quick Tip
Keep the skin on the zucchini when cooking. Not only does the skin have lots of nutrients, but it also helps the zucchini keep its shape as it cooks!
Stuffed Zucchini
Equipment
- 1 9×13 baking dish
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Slice the zucchinis in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the center seeds, making a long well in each zucchini. Place the hollowed zucchini halves in the greased pan.4 medium zucchini
- Sprinkle the zucchini with the salt and set them aside.½ teaspoon salt
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it is no longer pink (about 8 minutes). Break up the beef as it cooks with a wooden spoon, making small crumbles.1 pound ground beef
- Drain the fat from the pan of cooked beef and discard.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pan and stir. Cook for 4 minutes to soften the onions and peppers.1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped, ½ cup chopped white onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Stir the marinara sauce into the pan of beef and add the basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 cups marinara sauce, ¼ cup chopped basil
- Use a paper towel to pat the zucchini boats dry, absorbing the water on the zucchini.
- Brush the zucchini with the olive oil.2 teaspoons olive oil
- Scoop the beef and sauce into each zucchini boat, stuffing each zucchini as much as possible.
- Bake the stuffed zucchini for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle the zucchini with the parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and return the pan to the oven. Bake the zucchini for another 10 minutes. The cheese will be melted and starting to brown.½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Enjoy the zucchini while hot as a complete meal!
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat your stuffed zucchini in 30-second increments in the microwave, or warm it in the oven.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe!
Nutrition
Did you make this Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini recipe? Be sure to let us know how it turned out and leave a rating and comment.
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This would be very easy to use a vegan recipe and instead of courgette you could use Aubergine if you have one in xx