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Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Cheese stuffed zucchini boats with overflowing, golden baked mozzarella and parmesan. Tender zucchini shells are filled with a ricotta-garlic mixture and baked until bubbly and blistered at the edges.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 370
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 4 zucchini medium
2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 garlic minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 0.5 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0.25 cup parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.125 tsp black pepper to taste
Fresh basil and red pepper flakes for garnish
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Halve each zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the center, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell; chop the scooped flesh and set aside.
Cook the filling
  1. Brush the zucchini shells with olive oil, then season with salt and black pepper and place cut-side up in a baking dish.
  2. Sauté the minced garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds, then add the chopped zucchini flesh and cherry tomatoes and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
  3. Remove from heat and mix with ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian seasoning until evenly combined.
Stuff and bake
  1. Fill each zucchini shell generously with the cheese mixture, then top with the remaining mozzarella.
  2. Bake 20–25 minutes at 400°F until zucchini is tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly; garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes.

Notes

For cleaner boat shapes, keep the shell thickness close to 1/4 inch so they stay sturdy in the oven. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat at 350°F until warmed through. Freeze? No—zucchini gets watery after thawing. Vegetarian-friendly as written; if you want a lower-fat version, use part-skim mozzarella and reduce the parmesan slightly.