Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
This Sausage Stuffed Zucchini is great to serve as a vegetable side, or even as the main dish for a light summer lunch. Fresh zucchini is stuffed with Italian sausage, fresh tomatoes, Parmesan, garlic, and more!
This is one of those recipes where you can get away with having it as a meal, because it has a bit of protein, satiating fat, and plenty of vegetable freshness and nutrition.
There are so many ways to make zucchini boats and stuffed zucchini, but this is my favorite version.
The flavors feel very classic and go well with the zucchini. There’s meatiness, there’s crunch, there’s the aromatic nature of the herbs…
It’s a similar experience to Stuffed Mushroom Caps, except it’s less work to stuff zucchini since they’re a lot bigger!
While I do recommend you follow the recipe to a T the first time around, you can use the recipe as a template in the future and start playing with different kinds of ingredients in the filling.
In other words, they’re as versatile as can be, and that’s part of what makes them such a great staple for a meal rotation.
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Zucchini:
First prep the zucchini by slicing through the middle, down the length of the zucchini:
I like to keep the stem on because it looks nice, but feel free to trim it off if you prefer.
Next, use a melon baller to scoop out the seedy part of the zucchini:
This makes room for the filling. I discard the seedy part that’s scooped out instead of incorporating it in the mix like you would with stuffed mushrooms, since it’s very watery.
For the filling, combine browned Italian sausage, freshly chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley, egg, garlic, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs:
Use your hands to stuff this mixture into the zucchini boats:
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are slightly browned and the zucchini has become fork tender, but not mushy.
You want some “al dente” and texture to it.
Zucchini Fritters and Greek Zucchini Salad are some of my other favorite zucchini sides.
For a main dish, this Zucchini Noodle Lasagna is comforting and cheesy, with zucchini ribbons in place of pasta to make it a little lighter.
Also check out my Ultimate Guide to Zucchini, which covers how to store zucchini, how to pick a good one at the grocery, and 60+ recipe ideas using zucchini. Enjoy!
Can stuffed zucchini be frozen? I don’t recommend it. Freezing makes the texture of the zucchini boats very mushy.
What goes with stuffed zucchini? I like adding other vegetable-centric dishes to the table, like Stuffed Mini Peppers and Charred Broccoli.
Can you reheat zucchini boats? Yes, and they reheat nicely. Microwave is the fastest but can make them a bit moist/soggy, so if I can I prefer to warm it in the oven.
Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Zucchini:
- 2 small zucchinis (1 pound)
- 1/3 lb fresh italian sausage removed from casing
- 1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
- 2 oz freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oz vine-ripened tomatoes chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp minced parsley or basil
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- salt
- pepper
Ideas for What to Serve with the Zucchini (optional):
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the zucchinis in half down the length, then scoop out the middle seedy part of the zucchini using a melon baller, discarding the scooped middle part.
- Place the prepped zucchinis on a sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat for a few minutes, then add the sausage to the pan. If the pan is properly hot, it should hiss and sizzle when you add the sausage.
- Cook the sausage for about 5 minutes, breaking up any large clumps with your cooking utensil, until the sausage has browned and cooked through.
- Remove the sausage to a large bowl, then add the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, chopped tomatoes, egg, parsley, and red onion.
- Add 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, then mix it all together.
- Scoop the filling into the prepped zucchinis, then roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated with photos, writing, and more tips in August 2018. Originally published September 2012.
29 Comments on “Sausage Stuffed Zucchini”
Yep this is right for me…full of goodness…
Another great recipe!!! I made these for dinner and not only do they look good, they taste delicious!!! Thanks for this simple recipe.
Made these for dinner today, omitted the egg and breadcrumbs and they were really tasty and very filling. Thanks for sharing!
Can you add the nutritional value of the meal…Like the servings, calories, etc. I have to watch what I eat. I pinned you. I added extra veggies to the dish. I was delicious.
I agree that vegetables don’t get enough attention at restaurants. Those stuffed zucchinis throw me back to my early years cooking when we stuffed anything going. They still taste pretty good today too.
Love it!
I want to make this so bad! Unfortunately husband will not go close to zucchini, so I need him to leave for a night!
Trust me your husband will love it. I don’t ever eat Zuccini, but my husband made this recipe and it is yummo!
This is a great dinner idea – fast and easy!
This is dinner tonight! I have fresh zucchini from my garden and was looking for something new to do with it. Thanks! Looks delish!
I would happily stuff my belly with these! So simple too!
This looks wonderful and I will try it tomorrow night for sure. Do you have the recipe for the peach tarte tatin with bourbon creme anglaise and caramel butter pecan ice cream? Ive searched the site, (for hours I may add since there are so many great recipes. That one caught my attention, but I can’t find it. Thanks for your help. Carole
I think you’ll love it Carole! The peach tarte tatin isn’t a recipe on my site, it’s just an example of a really fancy restaurant dish. Though, I do have an apple tarte tatin recipe that could probably be substituted with peaches! The peaches would just be sauteed for less time. https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/2011/11/21/apple-tarte-tatin/ Now I want to make that dish! haha.
Thanks Joanne, nothing wrong with apples, especially at this time of year. That peach dessert just sounds great. I tried to find it, but I found it here. LOL, I’m making this this weekend. Takes me a while to get to things. Thanks again for your response.
Gorrr-juss…Great idea to kick veggie up a notch!!
Love it and completely agree. I’m not vegetarian but I do love veggies and they’re healthy. I would love to see more varied and interesting recipes for them on restaurant menus. Till then, I’ll rely on home cooks to make the veggies the star.
I don’t think side should matter when it comes to veggies. They should out-weigh the “main course.”
I do not eat meat and when I do dine out, I have a very difficult time and often end up ordering a collage of side dishes, which are, as you say, a snooze. I think one of the best ways to get the population eating more veggies is to liven them up!
I’ll substitute the sausage out of this, but I’m jazzed about your comments!
These would even make a great main course, Joanne. Add some bread and maybe a salad – complete meal! Can’t wait to try them.
Stacy
I agree with you that veggie side dishes don’t get the attention they deserve so this is a great concept, however, size doesn’t matter? I think it should, especially if it’s a side dish…
Hi DB, I don’t think it matters here if you’re using 4 smaller zucchini or 2 large, provided it all adds up to 1 lb for the purposes of making this recipe. Why do you think the size matters?