I seem to always have zucchini on hand these days. It’s in season and there are uses upon uses for them things. I’ll never tire of the “zoodles” here, here, or even here, but it’s time to switch things up a bit. 🙂
Stuffed zucchini seems to be the way to go. There are several variations online; whether it’s mexican, italian, or even greek filled, the possibilities are endless! I’ve decided to go the italian and vegetarian route on this one, but you could easily sub the quinoa for ground turkey or lean beef (points will vary, of course) 🙂
Zucchini boats are a great, quick dinner to put together, especially since you could use what you have on hand. I did have to add pesto to my grocery list this week for this recipe, but everything else was just waiting to be used up.
Easy. Check.
Flavorful. Check.
Healthy. Check, check!
Pesto Quinoa Zucchini Boats
Ingredients:
• 3 medium/large zucchinis
• 3/4 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1/8 cup prepared pesto (I used Trader Joes Genova Pesto)
• 1/2 cup tomato/marinara sauce (I used Trader Joes Organic Tomato Basil Marinara)
• 2 oz light mozzarella (I used Trader Joes Lite Mozzarella)
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Wash/dry and cut both ends of each zucchini. (If needed, cut the bottom flat on each one to keep “boats” from rolling)
• Split each zucchini down the middle and scrape out seeds/insides (a grapefruit spoon is great for this!) Now you have 6 “boats”. (Discard scraps or save for zucchini bread!)
• Salt and pepper each boat.
• In a small bowl, mix together cooked quinoa and pesto.
• Fill each boat with pesto quinoa until all is used.
• Top each boat with a little marinara sauce.
• Lastly, divide up the mozzarella onto each one.
• Place the boats in a 9X13 baking dish (or one just big enough)
• Bake for 20min until cheese is bubbly and zucchini flesh is soft. Broil for a few minutes if desired.
These zucchini boats looks so yummy! I never tried them using quinoa though, I’ll have to use this recipe next time I make them 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! The quinoa helps keep them light while still providing a good amount of protein 🙂 Definitely give them a shot! 😉
LikeLike
That looks delicious! Great use for zucchini! 🙂
LikeLike