If you like zucchini boats, but you’re looking for a new way to make them, this stuffed zucchini parmesan recipe is it.
For more ideas of what to make, check out all of our recipes.

A couple of years ago, Pete wanted to have a low carb January. So we spent the month making twists on our classic recipes.
One of the recipes we made that stayed in our rotation was stuffed zucchini boats.
You hollow out zucchini, fill it with vegetables or a protein, and bake it.
When I want zucchini boats, and I’m in the mood for something vegetarian, I make this stuffed zucchini parmesan. It’s so warm and satisfying, even without ground meat.
It has all the flavors of a delicious parmesan dish — marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese — but served in a zucchini boat.

If you bought too much zucchini for this recipe and you’re trying to figure out how to use it, we have a great list of budget-friendly zucchini recipes to inspire you.
Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan Recipe
Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.
Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan Ingredients:
You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Zucchini – You need to use ripe zucchini for this. But, if your zucchini is too ripe, it’ll be very hard to scoop out the inside without breaking the zucchini boat.
- Olive oil – The olive oil will flavor the zucchini and will ensure that it doesn’t stick to the pan while it cooks.
- Salt – Salt helps to pull out some of the liquid from the zucchini so it’s soft when you eat it.
- Italian seasoning – If you don’t have any Italian seasoning, you can substitute oregano, parsley, or dried basil.
- Marinara sauce – Any type of jarred or homemade marinara sauce works.
- Mozzarella cheese – You want to use a block of mozzarella cheese that you shred yourself. It will melt really well as opposed to bagged shredded cheese, which has preservatives in it. Those prevent it from melting and clumping in the bag, which is good, but it also means it doesn’t really melt in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese – This recipe is named parmesan, so you need to have parmesan cheese in the recipe.
How To Make Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.
Use a melon baller to scoop out as much of the inside of the zucchini as you can, making sure to not go all the way down to the bottom and pierce the zucchini.
If you don’t have a melon baller, you can use a spoon, but the melon baller just makes the process a little bit easier.
Put the scooped-out zucchini in a separate bowl. We’re going to be using that in just a little bit.
Start with the hollowed out side of the zucchini facing up.
Drizzle the inside of the zucchini with olive oil.
Sprinkle it with salt and Italian seasoning.
Put the zucchini halves with the hollowed out side down into a cake pan.
You want to use a cake pan rather than a cookie sheet because it has higher sides.
Drizzle a little more olive oil on top.
Bake the zucchini halves for 10 minutes.
You want to bake them with the hollowed out side down to prevent the inside, which is not protected by skin, from roasting too quickly.

While those are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Take the reserved zucchini (the portion you scooped out with the melon baller) and dice it a little smaller.
Put them in the pan to sauté for about five minutes.
When the zucchini starts to soften, add in the marinara sauce and let it cook together for five minutes.

Take the zucchini out of the oven.
Flip it over so that the hollowed out side is facing up.
Quick note: I usually don’t have any pooled liquid at the bottom of the pan after baking them. But, if you do, you may want to wipe it away, just so it doesn’t make the zucchini soggy.
Stuff the zucchini mixture from the skillet into the zucchini.

Shred the mozzarella cheese.
Add it evenly across the zucchini.

Sprinkle them with parmesan cheese.

Put the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Take the zucchini out of the oven and sprinkle it with a little bit of Italian seasoning for garnish.
Serve warm.

Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan: Frequently Asked Questions
We just eat the zucchini boats when we’re having this for dinner. It’s enough to fill us up.
However, if you want, you could serve these with a side of garlic bread or pasta with marinara sauce. You could also add a side salad.
Let the leftover stuffed zucchini parmesan cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
You want to use the longest rectangular container that you have because it will fit them best. They’ll be good for about five days that way.
When you’re ready to serve these, you can reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 350 F until they’re heated through.
We don’t recommend that you freeze this. Zucchini’s texture will change a lot in the freezer. It gets really mushy. So, if you freeze these and reheat them, they don’t taste great.

More Stuffed Zucchini Recipes:
Like I said before, this is a twist on our sausage stuffed zucchini boats recipe. So if you’re looking for a similar recipe, but with meat, try that one.
Stuffed Zucchini Parmesan
If you like zucchini boats, but you’re looking for a new way to make them, this stuffed zucchini parmesan recipe is it.
Ingredients
- 5 zucchini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt (more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 24 oz. marinara sauce
- 6 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.
- Use a melon baller to scoop out as much of the inside of the zucchini as you can, making sure to not go all the way down to the bottom and pierce the zucchini. Put the scooped-out zucchini in a bowl.
- Start with the hollowed out side of the zucchini facing up.
- Drizzle the inside of the zucchini with olive oil.
- Sprinkle it with salt and Italian seasoning.
- Put the zucchini halves with the hollowed out side down into a cake pan.
- Drizzle a little more olive oil on top.
- Bake the zucchini halves for 10 minutes.
- While those are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Take the reserved zucchini (the portion you scooped out with the melon baller) and dice it a little smaller.
- Put them in the pan to sauté for about five minutes.
- Add in the marinara sauce and let it cook together for five minutes.
- Take the zucchini out of the oven. Flip it over so that the hollowed out side is facing up.
- Stuff the zucchini mixture from the skillet into the zucchini.
- Shred the mozzarella cheese.
- Add it evenly across the zucchini.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Put the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Take the zucchini out of the oven and sprinkle it with a little bit of Italian seasoning for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 253Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 16mgSodium 1480mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 5gSugar 7gProtein 9g
Have you tried this stuffed zucchini parmesan recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments.
