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Ground Beef Zucchini Boats

Ground beef zucchini boats baked at 400F with a tender 1/4-inch zucchini shell, filled with an Italian-seasoned beef and tomato mixture. Topped with melted mozzarella and parmesan for a golden, bubbly finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini Boats
  • 4 large zucchini Halved lengthwise; scoop center, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell.
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 0.5 fresh basil For finishing.
  • 1 marinara For serving and drizzling.
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Prep and bake the zucchini
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F, then place zucchini halves on a sheet pan. Scoop out the center of each zucchini half, leaving a 1/4-inch shell.
  2. Chop the scooped zucchini flesh and set it aside for the filling.
Make the ground beef filling
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain excess fat. Add the onion and zucchini flesh and cook for 4 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika, then cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble and finish
  1. Fill each zucchini shell with the beef mixture, then top with mozzarella and parmesan. Transfer to the oven.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is golden. Let it rest briefly so the filling sets.
  3. Finish with fresh basil and drizzle with marinara before serving.

Notes

For clean boat shapes, keep the zucchini shells close to an even thickness so they bake tender at the same rate. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven until warmed through (about 10-15 minutes). Freezing is not recommended because zucchini texture softens after thawing. For a lighter option, swap half the mozzarella for part-skim mozzarella to reduce calories while keeping the melty top.