zucchini pizza boats

Stuffed zucchini are a popular dish in the Mediterranean region. I've wanted to make some for a while but this post on Green Light Bites really motivated me.

Stuffed zucchini are usually filled with some sort of seasoned meat, starch and vegetables. What caught my eye about the Green Light Bites version is that they are pizza themed which makes them very family friendly! They look like pizzas, they taste like pizzas but you're getting a whole lot of vegetables!

So, inspired by Green Light Bites I made my own zucchini pizzas. I added some bread crumbs to beef up the filling, used parmesan instead of feta because that's what I had on hand, and I threw a couple black olives on top. I wanted to put some turkey pepperoni on top but the store I was at was sold out... Boo! Anyway, this recipe is completely customizable so go wild with it!

You can even make it low carb by replacing the bread crumbs with more parmesan. Either way, these were so good and easy that I'll definitely be whipping some up the next time I get a pizza craving!





Total Recipe cost: $7.92
Servings Per Recipe: 6 (2 pizza boats each)
Cost per serving: $1.32
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 20 min. Total: 35 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
6 med.	zucchini	$4.22
1 (8 oz.) can	tomato sauce	$0.50
1/4 cup	bread crumbs	$0.08
1/4 cup	parmesan cheese	$0.24
1 tsp	Italian seasoning blend	$0.05
1 (2 oz.) can	sliced black olives	$1.00
2 cups	shredded mozzarella	$1.83
TOTAL		$7.92

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the zucchini well to remove any grit. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and, using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the center. Leave about one centimeter of zucchini around the edges. Save the scooped out zucchini flesh in a bowl.

STEP 2: Place the scooped out zucchini halves on a baking sheet. Dump the reserved zucchini flesh out onto a cutting board and chop it into smaller pieces. Return the chopped pieces to the bowl and stir in the tomato sauce, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

STEP 3: Refill the zucchini halves with the prepared mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and black olives. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned. The longer the zucchini are in the oven, the softer they'll be so if you like firmer zucchini, bake for a shorter amount of time.

Step By Step Photos

I only made a half batch so keep this in mind while viewing the photos.


Wash the zucchini well to make sure there is no grit left on them. Try to choose zucchini that are at least an inch and a half wide or else it will be difficult to scoop them out.


Slice the zucchini open lengthwise.


Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the zucchini. Leave about one centimeter of flesh around the edges to hold in the filings. Do not discard the scooped out flesh.


Roughly chop the pieces of zucchini that were scooped out of the center.


Place the chopped up zucchini in a bowl and add 8 oz. of tomato sauce.


Also stir in the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.


Place the scooped out zucchini halves on a baking sheet and then spoon the filling into them.


Top the zucchini with cheese.


Place black olives on top and then bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes (less time for a more firm zucchini).


The zucchini pizzas are done when the cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.


The pizzas are packed with flavor and nutrients! You'll want to eat them with a fork and knife as they are not as firm as traditional pizza.