Zucchini Pizza Boats are proof that anything can be a carrier for the amazingness that is cheesy pizza toppings.
Zucchini Pizza Boats
Using zucchini to form a “crust” for a number of different recipes has been one of the best new things I have tried. I’ve found that if it can go on a crust or in a shell, (think pizza, flatbread, tacos, etc.) there is a good chance it will work well with zucchini.
The firmer texture of a hollowed-out zucchini shell when roasted is the perfect vessel for all sorts of savory goodness! Taco and pizza are our favorites and a cheeseburger boat is in the works.
When baking or roasting whole, I try to use evenly sized zucchini. They bake at the same rate and it makes estimating doneness so much easier. For zucchini pizza boats, I recommend medium-sized zucchini.
The secret to the maximum flavor of these pizza boats is the sauteed peppers and onions tucked into the marinara sauce. Add your pepperoni to the sauce as well as to the top for double the pepperoni.
Be sure not to overbake the boats. Soggy zucchini boats are no fun and a little bit of crispness will create an ideal texture and flavor.
To bake the pizza boats first bake just the hollowed-out zucchini that has been rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Then load it up with the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni and bake it again until the cheese is melted and toasty.
Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- zucchini
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- onion
- green pepper
- garlic
- Italian seasonings
- pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- pepperoni
- shredded mozzarella
- chopped fresh Italian parsley
- freshly grated Parmesan
Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about ¼-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.
- Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the zucchini is baking, start the filling. Warm the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the peppers and garlic.
- Continue cooking for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the vegetables are tender. Season with remaining salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Add the marinara sauce and pepperoni, reserving a few slices for topping. Stir to combine and taste the mixture. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and stir once more.
- Generously fill each zucchini pizza boat half with the filling, pile it on top to use all the filling. Top each zucchini with the remaining cheese and pepperoni. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese, has melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and Parmesan and serve warm.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Zucchini Boats are such a delicious way to use the garden’s abundance of zucchini as well as things in the refrigerator and pantry. The ingredients are so easily interchangeable and simple to scale up and down.
BBQ Chicken Zucchini Boats are a saucy, cheesy, deliciously hearty meal that is a refreshing change from the typical sandwiches we usually make with leftover chicken.
Zucchini Taco Boats are full of flavor and cheesy goodness. Let’s face it tacos make everything better, especially zucchini.
Zucchini Pizza Boats
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided adjust to taste
- 1 small onion sliced into thin strips, ¾ cup worth
- 1 small green pepper sliced into thin strips, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasonings
- ½ cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- 24 slices pepperoni cut in half, 6 slices reserved for topping
- 2½ cups shredded mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about ¼-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.
- Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the zucchini is baking, start the filling. Warm the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the peppers and garlic.
- Continue cooking for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the vegetables are tender. Season with remaining salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Add the marinara sauce and pepperoni, reserving a few slices for topping. Stir to combine and taste the mixture. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and stir once more.
- Generously fill each zucchini half with the filling, pile it on top to use all the filling. Top each zucchini with the remaining cheese and pepperoni. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and Parmesan and serve warm.
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