Recipe: $2.90
Per Serving: $1.45
Zucchini boats are kind of an old trend, I know. I'm resurrecting them from circa...2011? But that doesn't make them any less awesome! You can scoop out the seeds and stuff these veggies with traditional lasagna flavors, with taco fillings, with dips and sauces galore!
When I made homemade sausage & mushroom bolognese, I really wasn't looking for ways to eat it all in one week, but I had nothing but zucchini and bolognese sauce in the fridge. (Um, plus a lot of condiments, obviously.) After a quick 1-ingredient-stop at the grocery store for cheese, I had two days' of lunches ready and waiting. And, if I'm being perfectly honest here, I was busy on the second day and ended up eating them cold. With my fingers. No knife & fork needed. They were still awesome.
To make these boats, you first scoop out the inside bits of the raw zucchini. Since I don't like to waste food, I chopped up the bits and sautéed them a bit, then added the sauce to the pot.
Fill the boats, roast 'em, add a little cheese and roast 'em a little longer and voila! Easy Lasagna-esque Zucchini Boats. You can use whatever Italian-ish cheese you like, such as mozzarella, gruyere, Parmesan, asiago, romano, etc., etc. And if you're really going for that lasagna flavor, you should put a layer of ricotta cheese in the bottom of the boat, and then add the bolognese. It's a good idea.
And even though you can see 5 ingredients listed below, salt & pepper never counts, and the step that uses olive oil is optional! When it comes to the sauce, feel free to use whatever marinara/pasta/bolognese sauce you like. You know which one I like.
3-Ingredient Zucchini Boats with Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 medium or large zucchini
- 1 cup marinara or bolognese sauce
- ¼ cup cheese mozzarella/Parmesan, etc.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides and roughly chop into small bits.
- Lightly sauté zucchini in olive oil, then add bolognese and mix well. (You can skip this step - alternatively, just mix the chopped zucchini with the bolognese.)
- Season zucchini with salt and pepper, then fill each half with ¼ cup bolognese.
- Bake on 450ºF for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese, then bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and enjoy!
I love cooking stuffed zucchini! This recipe sounds amazing.