Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

   (slightly adapted from Food Network, Nancy Fuller)

These were really delicious!  You can make them using the combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage (or just one type), ground beef, or ground turkey.  I have enjoyed these so far with ground beef and with sweet Italian sausage.  I also added a bit more tomato to my mixture, as I had a basket of fresh tomatoes from the farmer's market. These are delicious alone; or you can spoon a bit of your favorite pasta sauce on top.

Ingredients

·         4 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

·         1 tablespoon olive oil 

·         8 ounces sweet loose Italian sausage 

·         8 ounces hot loose Italian sausage 

·         1 clove garlic, minced 

·         1 small onion, chopped 

·         2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped 

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

·         1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated 

·         1/2 cup mozzarella, shaved 

·         1/4 cup breadcrumbs 

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions  

·         Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

·         With a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the interior of the zucchini, so they resemble boats. Place the zucchini boats in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Chop the zucchini flesh and set aside.

·         Note: I microwaved the zucchini boats for 2 minutes so that they were a bit more tender, and then placed them in the casserole dish.

·         In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let heat through. Add the sweet and the hot Italian sausage, and cook until crumbled and browned, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, onion, chopped zucchini flesh, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

·         In a medium bowl, add the Parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs and parsley; mix to combine.

·         Spoon in and mound the sausage mixture into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top. Place in oven and bake until golden on top, 20 minutes.