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Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Sausage pepper onion zucchini boats with Italian sausage, softened peppers, and onions baked until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Scoop-and-stuff zucchini boats with a hearty, low-carb Italian-American filling for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini boats base
  • 4 large zucchini Halved lengthwise; scoop centers leaving a 1/4-inch shell.
Stuffing
  • 1 lb Italian sausage Casings removed.
  • 1 red bell pepper Diced.
  • 1 green bell pepper Diced.
  • 1 large onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp fennel seeds Optional.
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper To taste.
Cheese topping
  • 1.5 cup mozzarella cheese Shredded.
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated.
  • Fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prepare and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the centers, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell; chop the removed flesh and set it aside.
Cook the sausage and vegetables
  1. Cook the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart, until browned, then drain excess fat.
  2. Add the bell peppers, onion, and chopped zucchini flesh to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
  3. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 more minute.
Stuff and bake
  1. Fill each zucchini shell with the sausage and pepper mixture.
  2. Top each boat with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan.
  3. Bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pro tip: drain excess sausage fat so the filling stays thick and doesn’t make the zucchini watery. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended because zucchini can soften too much after thawing. For a lighter option, use turkey Italian sausage and part-skim mozzarella for a similar texture with less fat.