Italian Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Roasted Tomato Sauce
Roma tomatoes, onion, and garlic are roasted together until concentrated and lightly caramelized, then blended into a smooth, flavorful sauce. The sauce goes right back into the same baking dish before zucchini boats filled with Italian sausage are nestled on top and finished with buttery Parmesan breadcrumbs.
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Tomato Sauce
- 10 Roma tomatoes, about 2 pounds, quartered
- 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Zucchini Boats
- 3-4 medium zucchini
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pound Italian sausage
Parmesan Breadcrumb Topping
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.Arrange the Roma tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. I use my 9×13-inch cast-iron casserole pan so I can roast the sauce ingredients and bake the stuffed zucchini in the same pan.Drizzle the tomatoes, onion, and garlic with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, then toss until evenly coated.Roast for 35–45 minutes, stirring once, until the tomatoes have collapsed, the onion is tender, and the edges are lightly browned.While the tomatoes roast, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the centers, leaving approximately a ¼-inch-thick shell around the sides and bottom.Sprinkle the hollowed zucchini lightly with kosher salt. Place the zucchini cut-side down on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or clean kitchen towel. Let sit for 20–30 minutes, then blot thoroughly to remove the released moisture.Let the roasted tomato mixture cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and all the accumulated juices to a room-temperature, wide-mouth half-gallon Mason jar. I like using a half-gallon Mason jar with my immersion blender because the tall sides keep the sauce from splattering out. Blend until smooth.Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.Pour approximately 2 cups of the roasted tomato sauce back into the same 9×13-inch casserole dish and spread it evenly across the bottom.Divide the uncooked Italian sausage evenly among the zucchini boats, filling them loosely without packing the meat too firmly. Arrange the filled zucchini boats over the tomato sauce.Spoon a small amount of the roasted tomato sauce over the sausage filling in each zucchini boat.Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.While the zucchini boats bake, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, melted butter, and a few grinds of black pepper.Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the stuffed zucchini.Return the casserole to the oven and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender, the topping is golden, and the Italian sausage reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.Let the zucchini boats rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon additional roasted tomato sauce from the casserole dish around each boat.
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