Italian-Style Zucchini Boats
Description
Hearty and family-friendly, this recipe for Italian-inspired zucchini boats is stuffed with ground beef and topped with mozzarella for tons of flavor.
Ingredients
•
1 drizzle olive oil
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1 extra large zucchini, quartered lengthwise, seeds scooped out
•
salt and ground black pepper to taste
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2 pounds ground beef
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1 onion, chopped
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5 cloves garlic, minced
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3 tablespoons dried basil
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3 tablespoons dried oregano
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4 teaspoons garlic salt
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1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
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1 cup water
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1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, or to taste
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1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2
Drizzle olive oil on zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
3
Bake in the preheated oven until zucchini is fork-tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
4
While zucchini is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef with onion and garlic until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic salt.
5
Combine tomato paste with water in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Drain fat from beef mixture if needed. Add tomato paste mixture and heat through. Turn off heat, add fresh basil leaves, and mix until well blended.
6
Remove zucchini from the oven; leave the oven on. Scoop meat mixture generously into each zucchini quarter and sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.