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Thanks to paleo diets and spiralizers, zucchini has never been hotter. It’s popping up in all sorts of dishes, and while I’m a huge fan of my one and only zuke recipe (Can I call ’em zukes? Is that a thing?), I figured it was time to branch out.
Enter: stuffed zucchini boats.
It sounds so fancy calling them “boats,” right? Like they should be served on a table set with a white tablecloth alongside basic sides with unnecessarily complicated names (lookin’ at you, haricot vert, AKA green-freakin’-beans). But they’re outrageously easy to make.
Seriously. Just halve a zuke, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the center — without cutting all the way through to the bottom — and stuff it with the filling of your choosing. Enchilada and taco-themed fillings are really popular on Pinterest, but lately, I’ve been craving Greek spaghetti from my hometown in Florida, so I decided to replicate that. (If you haven’t had it, you need to: The meat sauce features a hint of cinnamon that adds a whole new dimension of flavor and balances out the acidity of the tomatoes. Or at least that’s what I think.)
Try it for yourself:
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey (ground beef also works)
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, excess juices drained (14 ounces)
- 1 package crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- As the oven heats, mix the ground turkey, onion, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper together. Place it in a skillet over medium heat and cook, breaking up the beef. Once the meat has browned, drain the excess grease and stir in the diced tomatoes. Set aside.
- Halve the zucchini and scoop out the seeds, creating a trough in each one. Add the beef mixture, sprinkle with crumbled feta and place the boats on a baking sheet. Bake for 43-45 minutes.
