Ground turkey zucchini boats are easy to make and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Fresh zucchini is stuffed with a healthy meat sauce for a dinner that's naturally gluten-free. They only require six ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides, being careful not to puncture the outer layer. Roughly chop the insides into small pieces and set aside.
Place zucchini boats face up (inside facing up) on a lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the zucchini with some of the salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. (Once they’re done, remove from heat and set aside, but leave the oven on.)
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Warm the olive oil, then add the ground turkey, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt & pepper. Brown turkey until fully cooked, then stir in about 1 cup of the chopped zucchini insides (save the rest for soups or scrambled eggs). Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until any water has evaporated. Stir in the marinara and cook for just 1 minute, and remove from heat.
Divide the filling among each zucchini boat, about ⅓ - ½ cup per boat. Once full, top each with mozzarella cheese. If using fresh mozzarella, pull it apart with your fingers and place on top of each boat.
Bake on 450ºF for 12-16 minutes on the top rack, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy either as is, or with something on the side such as pesto pasta, garlic bread, or cheddar-garlic biscuits.
Notes
I highly recommend using my sausage bolognese with mushrooms here for the best flavor and to save time. Replace the oil, turkey, marinara, and Italian seasoning with about 1 ½ - 2 cups of the sausage-mushroom bolognese. (Then all you need are the zucchini and the mozzarella!)Medium-large zucchini work best here (about 14 ounces each), but smaller zucchini will also work, as long as you adjust the amount of filling accordingly. Summer squash will also work here.Feel free to cook the zucchini longer if your family prefers them softer. These instructions will result in al dente zucchini because I don’t like it mushy!This recipe makes 2 servings, but this can easily serve 4 if paired with other side dishes.To keep this low carb and/or keto, serve as is. Otherwise, I recommend pairing with a source of carbohydrates, such as cheddar-garlic biscuits, pesto pasta, or garlic bread. (My favorite pairing with this dish is cheddar-garlic biscuits, which can be made gluten-free with a combination of Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and buckwheat flour.)To make this more budget-friendly, purchase zucchini on sale or at the farmer’s market, and make your own marinara or bolognese.Feel free to use a casserole baking dish instead of a sheet pan, but know that this may require a longer cooking time.