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Italian Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini

23 reviews
Test Kitchen Approved
Total Time

Prep: 35 min. Bake: 15 min.

Makes

6 servings

Updated: Sep. 13, 2023
I've always had to be creative when getting my family to eat vegetables, so I decided to make stuffed zucchini using the pizza flavors that everyone loves. It worked! We like to include sausage for a main dish but it could be a meatless side too. —Donna Marie Ryan, Topsfield, Massachusetts
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Ingredients

  • 6 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each)
  • 1 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • Additional minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; chop flesh. Place zucchini shells in a large microwave-safe dish. In batches, microwave, covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
  2. In a large skillet, cook sausage and zucchini flesh over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs and pepper. Spoon into zucchini shells.
  3. Place in 2 ungreased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Bake, covered, 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with additional minced parsley.

Nutrition Facts

2 stuffed zucchini halves: 206 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 39mg cholesterol, 485mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 17g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1/2 starch.