Make these zucchini boats for an easy summer dinner! They're fresh and filling, stuffed with a delicious mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, and cheese.
Jump to Recipe
I started making this stuffed zucchini boats recipe a few years back. It’s been a staple in our summer dinner rotation ever since!
I love this recipe for several reasons. First, it’s a fantastic way to make the most of a summer stockpile of zucchini. I don’t let any of the squash go to waste here. Instead of tossing the scooped zucchini flesh, I mix it into the zesty filling.
Second, it’s full of fresh summer flavor. These zucchini boats feature seasonal veggies like cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs in addition to the zucchini. Lemon zest brightens up the filling too.
Third, these stuffed zucchini boats are simple to make. You can hollow out the squash and mix up the filling in 20 minutes. Then, just pop them in the oven to bake! They’re a gorgeous summer meal that you can have on the table in under 45 minutes. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Ingredients for Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Here’s what you’ll need to make this stuffed zucchini recipe:
- Zucchini, of course! I use it 2 ways, stuffing the shells with a zucchini-loaded filling.
- Egg binds the filling together.
- Coarse breadcrumbs create a delicious body for the filling—the top gets toasty, while the inside stays moist.
- Parmesan cheese adds melty texture and umami flavor.
- Garlic punches it up.
- Cherry tomatoes dot the filling with sweet, juicy bites.
- Pine nuts add crunch.
- Lemon zest and thyme give it a bright, fresh finish.
- Extra-virgin olive oil helps the zucchini soften in the oven.
- And salt and pepper make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Stuffed vegetables may seem fussy, but they’re deceptively simple. As with my stuffed bell peppers and stuffed poblanos, these come together in just a few steps. Here’s all you need to do:
- Cut the zucchini. Halve them lengthwise and hollow out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick rim around each half.
- Make the filling. Chop any large pieces of scooped flesh and transfer it all to a kitchen strainer. Press out any excess moisture, and then add the zucchini flesh to a bowl with the egg, breadcrumbs, cherry tomatoes, thyme, lemon zest, cheese, garlic, pine nuts, and salt. Stir until everything’s well combined.
- Load up the zucchini. Place the zucchini shells in a baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle them with olive oil and spoon in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake! Transfer the stuffed squash to a 475°F oven and bake until the zucchini is tender and the filling is set and nicely golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes.
Enjoy!
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe Tips
We’ve made this stuffed zucchini recipe (originally inspired by the stuffed zucchini in the Ottolenghi Simple cookbook) many times. Following these tips yields the best results:
- Squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini flesh before stirring it into the filling. You don’t want it to be watery! Chop any bigger zucchini chunks into small pieces before adding them to the seedy, pulpy innards and pressing them over a kitchen strainer.
- Don’t scoop too much. Make sure you leave a sturdy border of zucchini flesh to support the yummy filling. If you scoop too much, your stuffed zucchini boats will be flimsy.
- Make your own breadcrumbs. Better bread = better bread crumbs, so find a good baguette or loaf of crusty bread for this recipe. Tear it into chunks and pulse them in a food processor to create coarse crumbs for the filling. Enjoy the remaining bread on the side!
- Top them with pesto. These stuffed zucchini boats are great on their own, but a drizzle of pesto really takes them over the top. Make homemade basil pesto or use store-bought. In pinch, tomato sauce or marinara sauce would be nice here too.
Serving Suggestions
We like these stuffed zucchini boats as a main or side dish. If you make this recipe with 3 medium zucchini, it serves 6 as a side. If you make it with 2 large zucchini, it serves 4 as a main course.
Pair the boats with a bowl of gazpacho or a summery pasta like my cherry tomato pasta or pesto pasta. They’d also go well with any of these summer salads:
Leftover zucchini boats keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or a 350°F oven.
More Favorite Zucchini Recipes
If you love this stuffed zucchini, try one of these zucchini recipes next:
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Baked Zucchini Chips
- Roasted Zucchini
- Zucchini Pasta
- Zucchini Bread
- Or any of these 30 Best Zucchini Recipes!
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini, or 3 medium, halved lengthwise
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup torn crusty bread, crumbled
- â…” cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pesto, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a small spoon to hollow out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving a little more than ¼-inch thickness around the edges. Place them cut side up on the baking sheet.
- Make the filling. Place the scooped-out zucchini flesh into a mesh strainer and gently press out any excess water. You should be left with 1 cup flesh. Chop any coarse pieces and transfer to a medium bowl with the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, tomatoes, lemon zest, thyme, pine nuts, and salt. Mix until combined, using your hands if necessary.
- Drizzle the hollowed-out zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon in the filling and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the filling is set and is golden brown and crisp on top.
- Serve with pesto.
Inspired by the stuffed zucchini recipe in Ottolenghi Simple and reprinted with permission from the publisher.
Excellent for weekend backyard barbecue!
I made this recently. Used some leftover homemade sourdough bread and followed the recipe exactly, including the basil pesto to serve with (homemade).
These were delicious! I’ll definitely keep this recipe. We had them alongside a green salad and it was a great meatless dinner. We’re doing the Mediterranean way of eating so meatless meals happen several times a week.
Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Melissa!
The flavor is really wonderful and we’re enjoying that but the zucchini boats needed to be cooked beforehand cause Irish came out nice and crisp. I would’ve liked them to have been a little more cooked.
Too much lemon zest.
Delicious …I didn’t have thyme added Parsley seasoning , didn’t have pine nuts added cashews and forgot the lemon. Still tasted good but can imagine even nicer with correct ingredients and portions 🙂
I made the vegetarian stuffed zucchini.Iade the filling a night before,using Caesar croutons instead of crushed bread.No need for pesto. Absolutely delicious.
Would you recommend salting the zuke “guts” to facilitate getting the moisture out like you do for cuke sourcream salad?
Hi Terri, fellow home cook here! I did that last night and it sure did get the water out! I would recommend that method, thanks for the idea!
Made this for the first time last night but since I’m celiac I used brown rice (cooked in veggie stock with butter and salt) instead of the breadcrumbs. Otherwise followed the recipe to a T and it was delicious! For more punch, I might add some chili flakes next time. Still, delicious just as it is!
I’ve just made these with a few additions – I kept the parmesan in, crumbled feta into the mix and added freshly chopped parsely and basil. Crumbled walnuts with the crumbs. Omitted the cherry tomatoes and used sweet red peppers and a squeeze of tomato puree. They look amazing!! Can’t wait to taste…
So you made your own recipe not this one 🤔
Can you add walnuts or pecans
I’ve made these two times this week… they are fabulous! I made my own breadcrumbs by toasting and chopping sourdough bread into small chunks and I added red pepper flakes. They were a hit with two separate parties of people. It will def. be a staple in our summer rotation!
I’m so glad you loved the zucchini boats, Trish! Homemade breadcrumbs definitely take them to the next level.
Fabulous recipe! I just substitute the bread chunks with the premade Italian bread crumbs. I use about 1/2 cup. Turns out great!
Coupled this with your cherry tomato pasta.
Out of this world!
So glad you loved them, Mark!
Delicious and so healthy! I made this recipe using spaghetti squash (ran out of zucchini) and it was amazing. Left out the egg. Had to roast the squash first with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes, then added this filling and baked another 20minutes.
I love that idea! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Sorry, but this was not a recipe for my family. I followed it to the tee but they did not enjoy it at all. They said it has a very offputting flavour.
These are beautiful!
Delish! I used both a zucchini and yellow squash. I put in a yellow pepper and jalapeno from the garden. Finished with a dollop of pesto. Will def make again!
Hi, I’m so glad you loved the recipe! That variation sounds delicious.
I’m making these soon. Have you ever put them on the grill? If yes, what temp and how long and did you wrap them foil?
Hi Kathy, we haven’t tried grilling these. I’d recommend baking them in the oven so that the egg can cook through in the filling and the top of the filling can crisp up.
Can I make or prep any of this ahead? If so, how far in advance? I have a vegetarian friend that I’d love to make this for it but need to be able to serve with the meat dishes I have planned.
This was really good! I didn’t add the pesto, I think it would have overpowered. My wife wants me to make them again.
Thoroughly enjoyed these!! Great mix of flavors and such a pretty meal. Didn’t even need the pesto topping. May try topping with a little marinara next time….THANK YOU!!!