Description
Stuffed zucchini boats are summer cooking at its most practical — take the vegetable that is taking over your garden, hollow it out, fill it with something savory, and bake until golden. These get a Mediterranean filling of quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and feta that is bright, tangy, and hearty enough to make a full dinner. The zucchini shells soften in the oven while the filling stays textured, and the melted feta on top ties everything together.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop out the center of each zucchini half with a spoon, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Roughly chop the scooped-out flesh.
- Brush the zucchini shells with olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Place cut-side up on the baking sheet.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chopped zucchini flesh, garlic, and red onion 3 minutes until softened.
- In a bowl, combine the sautéed mixture with quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, lemon juice, oregano, remaining salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup feta.
- Fill each zucchini shell with the mixture. Top with remaining feta and panko tossed with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the topping is golden and crispy.
- Serve warm, with an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
- Leave a thick enough shell — too thin and the zucchini collapses under the filling. A quarter inch is the sweet spot.
- Salt the shells before baking to draw out moisture, which prevents the boats from being watery.
- These can be assembled hours ahead and refrigerated. Add 5 minutes to the baking time when going straight from the fridge.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 16
- Carbohydrates: 26
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 25