Zucchini Boats

Tender zucchini stuffed with Impossible Burger filling and seasoned with oregano, basil, and fennel. Topped with vegan cheese and baked to perfection.

Overview

The recipe name, zucchini boats, draws its inspiration from the fact that the scooped out centers of the zucchini resemble little boats. The removed zucchini centers are roughly chopped and sautéed with the rest of the filling ingredients. The filling also includes olives, Impossible Burger, diced tomatoes, and red bell pepper.

The trick to perfectly tender zucchini is a technique called parboiling. As the name suggests, you are partially cooking the zucchini by boiling them for several minutes. The baking process picks up where parboiling left off.

There is no special equipment needed for this recipe. We use a 9 x 13 inch baking dish to cook the zucchini boats. But you probably could achieve the same end result by using a baking sheet.

Cooking Notes

Prep Work

Start by peeling and mincing the garlic. For this recipe I used half a red onion but you can easily swap a small yellow onion in its place. Chop the onion and dice the red bell pepper. Place both in the same bowl as the garlic.

Rinse the zucchini with water and then dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife slice off the end. Then carefully cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Once all the zucchini are sliced use a spoon to scoop out the centers over a small bowl. After completing this step place the scooped zucchini on a cutting board and roughly chop it. The chopped zucchini will be used at a later step in the filling.

Parboil the Zucchini

Fill a large pot with water and place it on the stove top. Add a dash of salt to the water and bring it to a rolling boil. When the water is boiling, carefully add the prepared zucchini and cook for one to two minutes. After the time elapses use kitchen tongs to remove the zucchini from the water and place in a large bowl. This step will partially cook the zucchini and make them more tender once baked.

Cook the Filling

Bring a skillet up to medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onion, garlic, and bell pepper until the onion starts to turn translucent. Then add the Impossible Burger, or crumbles of choice, and cook until they are browned.

Place the reserved zucchini that we removed from the centers and the sliced olives in the skillet next. Followed by, the diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, fennel, and salt. Stir to combine the ingredients. Cook the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes or until most of the excess moisture has cooked away. Periodically stir the ingredients to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the skillet.

Assembly and Baking

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish by placing a tablespoon of canola oil in the center. Using a paper towel evenly coat the inside of the dish. Place the prepared zucchini in the dish. Use a serving spoon to add the filling to the zucchini.

Sprinkle the vegan cheese evenly over the top. Then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes on the center rack. When the time elapses use pot holder or oven mitts to remove the baking dish from the oven and place on a wire rack.

Serve immediately by using a serving spoon to place the zucchini boats on a plate. This dish is great with fresh cracked pepper or nutritional yeast added to the top. Enjoy! 🙂

Storage

Put the sheet of aluminum foil from the baking process on the baking dish. When the covered baking dish has cooled sufficient place it in the refrigerator. The zucchini boats should keep up to a week stored this way before the freshness starts to taper off.

If you like this recipe be sure to check out our other recipes below:

• Lasagna
• Baked Ziti
• Spicy Seitan and Broccoli Rabe Pasta
• Vegan Lentil Bolognese with Mushrooms, Sweet Peas, and Carrots