ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Zucchini Squash Boats

Updated on July 4, 2021

Zucchini Boats

Cast your vote for Zucchini Boats

I had some zucchini in the refrigerator. Every day it called out to me: "Cook us quickly, before we go bad!" On the fifth day, I rescued the zucchini from the vegetable bin. This recipe is what resulted from that rescue effort: Zucchini Boats!

Stuffed with Portabella mushrooms, Parmesan Cheese and other savory ingredients--this recipe is great for a main dish or a side dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 -12 oz. zucchini, washed
  • 4 ounces Portabella Mushrooms, chopped fine
  • 1/4 cup white onion, small dice
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper, small dice
  • 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, or 1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or 1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1-2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to your taste
  • Cooking oil spray as needed
  • 4-6 ounces mozzarella, muenster or cheese of choice, sliced or shredded
  1. Assemble all ingredients and kitchen tools. Recommended equipment: chef's knife, cutting board, garlic press, melon scoop, measuring cups and spoons, sheet pan or roasting pan, saute pan, bowls for holding ingredients, spatula.
  2. Set oven to 350 degrees. Wash zucchini thoroughly. Leave stems on and cut in half lengthwise. Use melon scoop to scoop out the zucchini flesh. Finely chop 1-2 cups of the zucchini flesh. Set aside.
  3. Heat butter or olive oil in saute pan to medium heat. Saute onions and bell pepper 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, saute about a minute. Add chopped portabella mushrooms, saute until mushrooms release their juices.
  4. Add chopped zucchini flesh, saute 1-2 minutes.
  5. Turn heat off. Add bread crumbs, herbs and Parmesan Cheese to the mixture in the saute pan. Stir until well incorporated.
  6. Coat sheet pan with cooking oil spray. Season zucchini halves with salt and pepper, then divide stuffing equally among them.
  7. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove, top with mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted (2 or 3 minutes).
  8. Enjoy your Zucchini Boats!
Cut Zucchini in Half (leave stems on)
Cut Zucchini in Half (leave stems on)
Scoop Flesh out of Zucchini
Scoop Flesh out of Zucchini
S&P Zucchini Halves, Then Add Stuffing
S&P Zucchini Halves, Then Add Stuffing
Bake 20 minutes, Top with Cheese, then bake 2-3 more minutes until cheese melts
Bake 20 minutes, Top with Cheese, then bake 2-3 more minutes until cheese melts

Additional Tips for This Recipe

If you don't have a melon scoop available, don't panic. I couldn't find mine, so I used a metal measuring spoon--(teaspoon size). It was sharp enough and had enough of a curve to get the job done. If you don't have metal measuring spoons, use the sharpest spoon you can find in your utensil drawer.

You can use all of the zucchini flesh in this recipe. I saved some of mine to make soup. The amount I used in the stuffing was just the right amount for the recipe, but if you want more, add more.

When you're scooping out the zucchini, be careful not to poke through the bottom. I left about 1/4" of zucchini flesh in the boats as a barrier. If you go any thinner than that, they'll fall apart after you bake them. Which is okay if you're just going to chow down, but if you want them to look pretty for a special dinner or a party, stick to 1/4" thick.

You can use other mushroom varieties for the recipe if you can't find Portabella Mushrooms or you want to vary the flavor a bit. Use the same amount as this recipe and finely chop them (small dice).

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)