Stuffed Zucchini

Name: Stuffed Zucchini
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 zucchini; 1 can whole, peeled tomatoes; 3 garlic cloves; 1/4 onion, roughly chopped; 2 sprigs of basil; 1 tbsp olive oil; salt, pepper, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic & onion powder; parmesan cheese rind (optional); 1 lb ground beef; 1/4 lb ground Italian sausage; 1/3 cup breadcrumbs; 3 tbsp milk; 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese; 1 large egg; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; 1 tsp each dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; salt & pepper

3 steps

Prep:15minCook:20min

Updated at: Sun, 28 Jun 2026 11:38:59 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories514.7 kcal (26%)

Total Fat33.4 g (48%)

Carbs21.2 g (8%)

Sugars8.7 g (10%)

Protein32.9 g (66%)

Sodium907.5 mg (45%)

Fiber4 g (14%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Step 1

Cut the zucchini in half and scoop out the insides. You want them to be about 1/4 inch thick. Saute the insides of the zucchini in a pan with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and set aside.

Step 2

You can use jarred sauce for this if you prefer, or make a simple red sauce. To make my sauce, I sauteed chopped onions and garlic in olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes. I added the tomatoes, seasoned with the listed seasonings, the basil, and parmesan rind. After everything simmered for a while, I removed the basil and cheese rind, and puréed everything with an immersion blender. Then add in the cooked zucchini insides so nothing gets wasted!

Step 3

Ladle a few scoops of sauce into a baking dish and place in the zucchini. Mix the ingredients for the meat mixture together and stuff each half with a few scoops of the mixture. Top everything with more sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.