When I’m craving pasta or lasagna but don’t want all the carbohydrate guilt that comes along with eating it, I take the zucchini route. Whether it’s zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of pasta or zucchini boats instead of lasagna, it’s still finger-licking good and delightfully light. This best zucchini boats (lasagna style) recipe is all you need when you also got that craving.
I made sure this best zucchini boats recipe is the perfect alternative you can have when you want pasta. We all know how carb-packed they are, and who wants that when they want a healthier lifestyle? No one. So this option is a delicious and healthy recipe you can whip up at home.
The Best Zucchini Boats (Lasagna Style) Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis
- 1 ½ pound ground beef (minced beef)
- 1 ½ medium onion - diced
- 1 cup broccoli - chopped
- 1 cup red pepper (red capsicum) - sweet, diced
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 cup tomato - diced
- 2 cups Marinara sauce (tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions – pasta sauce in southern hemisphere for Italian seafood dish)
- ½ tablespoon basil
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (chilli flakes in British English)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup dried breadcrumbs - Italian
Instructions
- Coat a pyrex with cooking spray.
- Cut off both ends of each zucchini and cut each zucchini in half, lengthwise.
- Using a grapefruit spoon, scoop out the insides of each zucchini and set it on pyrex.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pot and add ½ of an onion (diced).
- Cook until onion is translucent and then add beef.
- Use a wooden spoon to combine onions and beef.
- Garnish beef with salt and pepper to taste.
- In another small pot or a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add onions.
- Cook until translucent, and then add peppers and broccoli.
- Cook for 2 minutes, and then add tomatoes and spinach.
- Cook for another minute before adding pasta sauce, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, chilli pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt.
- Allow the tomato sauce to simmer, then remove from heat and combine with ground beef.
- In a small bowl, combine mozzarella and parmesan.
- Add a thin layer of cheese to the insides of each zucchini.
- Layer with tomato and beef sauce.
- Cover the pyrex with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and top the zucchini with the remaining cheese combination.
- Garnish with breadcrumbs (if desired).
- Place the tray back in the oven, without the foil, for another 5 to 10 minutes.