So, sitting here with Domino’s pizza in one hand, other hand occupied typing this exact post, I bring you the best story ever told on how I dealt with leftover veggies. (Not sponsored) My parents came to visit my fiancé and I in our new place, and they had the great idea of going to Whole Foods in my area. If you recall in one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that Whole Foods is my personal playpen. I had bought some vegetables from there. Some zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc. I had some leftover veggies from when I made a one pan roasted veggie dish. I was looking at them in deep thought, “What should I do with these? I need to make dinner tonight!” I walked over to my pantry and scanned each shelf up and down. I noticed I had a few cans of tomato sauce. “Maybe Bolognese? Nah, I don’t have 4 hours to simmer this. Tacos? Nah, we don’t have tortillas.” Then, it hit me. Why don’t I do stuffed zucchini? That’s new and exciting! So, that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t use the red bell pepper, though. Felt it would be too much.
- Time consuming? Yes. Absolutely worth it? Absolutely! It’s definitely a recipe for the books, for it will make a great meal when you have company over. The ground beef with its natural juices mixed with tomato sauce gives it a nice Bolognese feel, while not being a complete Italian traditional Bolognese. Fresh tomatoes releases it’s juices and creates a beautiful sauce.
- Made with fresh vegetables straight from the market These vegetables are very affordable and can sometimes be found locally grown. Where I live, I see advertisements for farmer’s markets along highways, however I got my vegetables from Whole Foods, but that’s not the point! Fresh vegetables beat canned any day.
- A real crowd-pleasing dish looking to impress guests Why stop at showing off to your family? Make this dish for your guests! It will sail them right to Italy (pun intended). With simmered meat and veggies that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours, you really can’t go wrong. Make this a potluck dish. You can even have them assemble their own boat if you wish!
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Italian Zucchini Boats with Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 6 large zucchini, cut in half
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzle
- 1 lb ground meat, 80-25 fat
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1/2 inch thick
- 1 lb grape tomatoes (about 30-32 tomatoes), sliced in 1/4s (*1)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 oz can) tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped plus some to garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Scoop the insides of the zucchinis and set aside half of the scooped insides. Set the zucchinis aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepot on medium-high heat. Add ground beef to the pot once oil is hot and cook until it is mostly brown, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp onion powder.
- Bring a pot of 6 quarts of water to a boil for the spaghetti. Add spaghetti when boiling. Boil for 10 minutes. Continue sauce while waiting.
- Stir in the yellow bell pepper, grape tomatoes, onions and garlic, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomato sauce, stir to incorporate, then simmer on high heat for 8 minutes, or until it looks saucy. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to mix in. Shut off heat.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with some olive oil. Line the boats up on the baking sheet, and drizzle the last 1 tbsp of olive oil. Fill the boats with the meat sauce until it is slightly heaping, but not overflowing. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese across the boats. Put in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned, and the zucchinis are soft inside.
- Serve boats with spaghetti on the side, add any extra sauce (*2) to the spaghetti if you desire or if there is any. Garnish with parsley.
Notes:
(*1) You can use a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes if you wish, just drain it first!
(*2) There is a possibility that you will end up with extra sauce, but that’s ok! You can use it to dress the spaghetti, or save it for another night!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
457.40Fat (grams)
20.57Sat. Fat (grams)
7.77Carbs (grams)
36.59Fiber (grams)
3.95Net carbs
32.64Sugar (grams)
5.94Protein (grams)
32.05Sodium (milligrams)
448.31Cholesterol (grams)
80.18
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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