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Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Sausage, pepper, and onion stuffed zucchini boats with a browned Italian sausage filling and caramelized-tender peppers. Baked until the mozzarella is golden and bubbly for an easy Italian dinner with a low-carb twist.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

zucchini
  • 4 zucchini Halved lengthwise
italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage Casings removed
bell peppers
  • 1 red bell pepper Diced
  • 1 green bell pepper Diced
onion
  • 1 onion Diced
garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced
italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
fennel seeds
  • 0.5 tsp fennel seeds Optional
red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
mozzarella cheese
  • 1.5 cup mozzarella cheese Shredded
parmesan
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated
salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt To taste
  • 1 pepper To taste
fresh parsley
  • 1 Fresh parsley For garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Halve zucchini lengthwise, then scoop out centers leaving a 1/4-inch shell; chop the removed zucchini flesh and set it aside.
Cook the sausage filling
  1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook Italian sausage, breaking it apart, until browned; drain excess fat.
  2. Add red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, and chopped zucchini flesh, then cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
  3. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 more minute.
Fill and bake
  1. Fill each zucchini shell with the sausage and pepper mixture.
  2. Top each boat with mozzarella and parmesan.
  3. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pro tip: drain excess sausage fat before adding the peppers so the filling doesn’t water down the zucchini. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended due to zucchini texture. For a dairy-light swap, use part-skim mozzarella instead of whole-milk mozzarella and keep parmesan optional.