Introduction
I came across this recipe the same way I come across most of my recipes…doom-scrolling Facebook while dissociating just enough to need a task for my hands.
It was one of those mildly dysregulated days where my brain felt like fifteen browser tabs were open at once, so I needed something simple, low stakes, and oddly therapeutic. Enter: zucchini boats.
Honestly, there is something deeply satisfying about hollowing out vegetables like a tiny kitchen crypt keeper.
I paired these with my garlic parmesan linguine—which I absolutely need to share here sometime—and the combination ended up being ridiculously good. Cheesy, cozy, colorful, and somehow still felt lighter than the casseroles currently trying to seduce me from every corner of Pinterest.
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini
- Olive oil
- Jarlic (because we support convenience in this house)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, then halve those pieces again so you end up with four boats. Scoop out the center to create little zucchini trenches for the toppings.
Drizzle olive oil inside each boat.
Layer in this order:
- Jarlic
- Diced red bell peppers
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Quartered cherry tomatoes on top
Bake for 25 minutes.
If you’re like me and believe slightly overcooked cheese is a personality trait, broil for an additional 1–2 minutes until the tops get golden and bubbly.
Results
Cheesy goodness.
The zucchini softens without getting mushy, the tomatoes roast down perfectly, and the cheese situation becomes deeply comforting in a way that feels almost suspiciously easy for vegetables.
Even better? Toddler approved…at least in my house, which honestly feels harder to accomplish than pleasing food critics sometimes.
Storage
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container
Best within 3–4 days
Reheating
Drizzle a little olive oil over the top, then air fry at 375°F for 3–5 minutes or until warmed through and the cheese gets bubbly again.
*Highly recommend this method because microwave zucchini has the texture of a Victorian illness.
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