Our vegan sausage knows no bounds, and zucchini is no exception. Though we’ve done zucchini noodle pasta in the past, zucchini boats felt more substantive. After all, they can be stuffed with goodies and baked!
This versatile dish can be served as a main, or paired with pasta dishes, salads, pizza, and more! The best part? Just 10 simple ingredients required!
Start by halving your zucchinis lengthwise and removing the seeds to make room for the filling. For added color, season zucchini and sear in a skillet. This helps soften them slightly and creates more flavor and texture.
For the filling, we sautéed onion and garlic for flavor and added red pepper flake for some heat.
Then we added our fan favorite, whole-food-based Easy Vegan Sausage and crisped it up a bit in the skillet. Store-bought vegan sausages would also work here, but we prefer the crumbly texture and complex flavors of homemade.
Marinara sauce is then added to the zucchini boats along with the sausage mixture.
Lastly, the zucchini boats are sprinkled with vegan parmesan cheese and baked until tender, golden brown, and slightly crispy. Swoon!
Garnish with fresh basil for an extra pop of green and freshness.
We hope you LOVE this recipe! It’s:
Saucy
Savory
Satisfying
Hearty
SUPER flavorful
& Delicious!
While hearty enough to be served as an entrée, these zucchini boats would also work well alongside other Italian-inspired dishes.
What to Serve with Zucchini Boats
- Socca Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto
- Vegan Ricotta & Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Salad
- Easy Gluten-Free Pasta (Grain-Free!)
- Garlicky Sweet Potato Noodle Pasta (8 Ingredients)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Vegan Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
ZUCCHINI
- 3 medium-sized zucchini
- 1-2 tsp avocado oil (if avoiding oil, omit)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 healthy pinch red pepper flake
FILLING
- 2 Tbsp oil (or sub water but double the amount)
- 1/2 cup diced white or red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flake (reduce or omit for less heat)
- 1 ¼ cup Easy Vegan Sausage (or sub store-bought)
- 1 cup Favorite Marinara (or sub store-bought)
- 2-3 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan Cheese
FOR SERVING optional
- Fresh basil
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Red pepper flake
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and set out a baking dish large enough to hold your halved zucchinis (as original recipe is written, a 9×13 should be sufficient — or use a parchment-lined baking sheet).
- Halve zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon or measuring spoon to scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh (enough to comfortably fit ~1/2 cup of sauce and vegan sausage).
- Spray or brush the zucchini with a bit of oil (just enough to lightly coat all sides), and season each with salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flake.
- Heat a large skillet (we prefer cast iron) over medium-high heat. Once hot, lay the zucchini cut-side down (only as many as will fit comfortably at once), and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the edges appear browned. This will create more flavor and start to help soften the zucchini before baking. Once all zucchini have been seared (on the cut side), transfer to your baking dish cut-side up.
- To the same skillet over medium heat, add oil (or water), onion, garlic, and pepper flake and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if browning too quickly.
- Add vegan sausage and crumble into small chunks with your spatula or wooden spoon so it cooks more evenly. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the sausage has begun to brown and crisp up a bit. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Divide your marinara evenly between the zucchini boats and top with the sausage mixture. Then use a spoon to mix the two a bit (keeping the sausage mostly on top).
- Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes (or until golden brown, crispy, and the squash is tender). Depending on the size of your squash and how tender you prefer it, you may need to bake longer.
- Serve as is, or with additional vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flake. Fresh basil would also be a delicious garnish.
- Best when fresh. Store leftovers up to 2-3 days and reheat in a 375 degree F (190 C) oven until hot. Not freezer friendly.
Barbara says
We love these and I’m just getting ready to make them with fresh zucchini from our garden for dinner this evening.
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Barbara. How exciting to be able to use zucchini from the garden! Enjoy! xo
Mirna Morales says
This was a great recipe and the results were super delicious!!! Easy to make, I bought the vegan chorizo and used store bought marinara sauce and served it over palm heart noodles!!!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mirna. Thank you for sharing! xo
Stacy says
Holy smokes, was this delicious! We were short on time so used jarred marinara and store-bought vegan sausage, and it was absolutely fantastic – one of our favorites from this site, which is really saying something given that 90% of our food intake is based on MB recipes.
Aw, we’re so glad to hear it, Stacy! Thank you for sharing! xo
Michelle says
I’m finding it hard to measure when adjusting the serving size. When I google it suggests milliliters/milligrams. Do you have measuring spoon recommendations?
Hi Michelle, sorry to hear this was giving you trouble. Unfortunately when you adjust the serving size it does change certain amounts to decimals, so it will say “0.25 tsp VS. 1/4 tsp”. It can be a bit awkward depending on the number of servings you want. Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Greta says
Yum!!! This is one to try for sure…made per recipe using Morningstar farm chorizo crumbles n vegan Parmesan n it was a 5 person dinner hit..even my teen grandson liked it..I served the zucchini boats with pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles…when the boats were cut into the pasta n sauce everything melded beautifully!!..very filling no salad or bread was needed…thank you for another keeper recipe…
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Greta. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Alison says
Made this yesterday, very good! Searing the zucchini first is a key step, makes it very tender. Will def make again!
Jill says
This sounds delicious! Do you think this filling could work well with delicata squash as well? I usually stick closely to your recipes but I look for any ways to use delicata squash! 😊Thanks!
Oooh yum! Yes! Let us know if you try it!
Jill says
Made this last night with delicata squash in place of zucchini….it was excellent! I roasted the squash for ~10-15 minutes before cooking them in the pan to soften them a bit. They were the perfect texture after loading and baking them as written in the recipe. They were a hit with everyone and I will definitely make them again!
Amazing! Thank you for letting us know, Jill! xo
Lily says
This was so good! It takes a while to make when you haven’t made the sausage first, so next time I will make the sausage the day before and save some of it for this recipe. I am trying a lot of your recipes and I am loving them all!
Yay! We’re so glad you’re enjoying our recipes, Lily! xo
The Vegan Goddess says
I was finally able to make this today and it’s as good as it looks in the photos — really tasty!
It is very labor-intensive and time-consuming to make when you don’t make your vegan sausage ahead of time and have to make that along with this dish.
BUT … the end result is YUM. And healthy to boot! Every night should be Italian night! (Now I have too many favorites from this site to pick just one.)
Bon Appétit!
Thank you so much for giving it a try and sharing your experience! We’re so glad it felt worth it =) xo
Kara says
Definitely one of our favorite recipes, SO good! My husband always overeats when I make this! Make it with your vegan sausage(which we LOVE) but add dairy parmesan and mozzarella and broil for a few minutes at the end(we love cheese!). Your marinara recipe is great, too, but I often just use Rao’s Marinara with this and serve with chickpea pasta.
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoy this one, Kara. Thank you for sharing! xo
Selene says
Looks yummy! I’m gonna try this. Also very similar to a traditional Turkish dish. Are you inspired by Turkish/Aegean cuisine?
We’re very inspired by other cuisines! Would love to learn more about Turkish and Aegean cuisine. Any favorite dishes you’d recommend?
Nicole says
These are so, so good and reheat in the toaster oven nicely. We used Beyond Sausage and some leftover jarred pizza sauce for a quick midweek meal. Thank you!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Nicole!
Sylvia Smith says
Listen!!! This was delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, Sylvia! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Renee Lilley says
This is outrageously good. We used hot italian beyond sausage and WOW. I also made your homemade marinara AND homemade parm. What a combo! Im in love.
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Renee! xo
RHEA MCFARLAND says
This was a really great recipe, and the vegan sausage was super flavorable…my meat eater roomie even asked for the recipe! Will be making agai
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Rhea! Thanks so much for the lovely review =)
Alyssa says
This recipe made a lot of the filling, which was great so we put some away in our freezer and used it for stuffed peppers a week later. Your marinara sauce is delicious, too! Great recipe!
Love that idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kim says
My husband and I loved this. We’re not vegetarian but have decided to reduce our meat intake. This was meaty & substantial. Will definitely make this many more times.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Kim!
Virginia says
These are amazing. My teenager eats most veggies, but zucchini isn’t one of them. She LOVED this recipe. It is so ‘meaty’ and delicious. The whole family ate ALL the filing and were fighting over leftovers. I highly recommend giving this one a try for vegan and meat eaters. It’s so good! Thank you for another great one!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Virginia! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Nicki says
I would give this 20 stars if I could! I had so may zucchinis from our CSA, I didn’t know what to do with them. This was perfect! We made it with your vegan sausage recipe and it was so worth the extra steps. (And there is sausage left over, so we’re going to make pizzas later this week). My mind is reeling with all the ideas for that sausage (stuffed mushrooms? stuffed peppers? sausage gravy? pasta with cashew cream sauce? Ahhhhh!) We left out the crushed red pepper and it was kid approved.
Thanks for the recipe! We’ll definitely make this again :)
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoyed the zucchini boats and vegan sausage! All those ideas for the sausage sound amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Nicki!
Lacey says
I used field roast Italian sausage but other than that I followed the recipe. Delish! I made it two nights in a row. Thanks for another wonderful and easy recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lacey! Thanks so much for sharing!
Briana Bo says
For the homemade vegan sausage.
Do you use it pre-cooked or do you add it to step 6 “raw”?
Hi Briana, Good question! There’s no need to cook it first since it gets cooked in this recipe.
Stacey says
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I’m so happy to be out of my wheelchair and cooking again! We happened to pick up a halve dozen Chinese eggplants at the farmers market 👏🏽 My husband isn’t a fan of zucchini 🤷♀️anyway!
I bought premade sweet Italian sausages. They looked awful 😝I’m not big on store bought much of anything😂so I also started some DIY meat. Im still building up my strength & endurance so I only made the quinoa for the “meat” and I’ll finish with the mushrooms, pecans, roasted pinto beans and the rest of the ingredients tomorrow. My husband loved the crumbled sautéed sausage and I mixed it with quinoa on eggplant! Another winner Dana, it was a delicious summery and lite meal, but so filling‼️😘#grateful
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Stacey! Thank you so much for the lovely review! Sending well wishes your way! xo
Elizabeth says
This was easy to make and tasted great. Dinner was rushed so I didn’t have time to make your Easy Vegan Sausage (I’ll try that next time) so I used vegan Field Roast Italian sausage and that worked out well. I keep a jar of your Vegan Parmesan Cheese in the freezer so it’s always on hand.
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Alexis says
YUM! This was delish! I also made the vegan sausage which took extra time but was definitely worth it. My picky 3 year old even ate it!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Alexis! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sarah says
This recipe is delicious! It was much easier than I thought it would be to make all the different parts of this meal: vegan sausage, vegan parmesan cheese (which by the way is amazing – I’m literally going to use it on everything now), etc. Next time I’ll plan to double the vegan sausage recipes and freeze some to make cooking this again faster. This will definitely be added to my regular cooking rotation. Yum!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kara says
Really tasty recipe, made all from scratch following your recipes(sausage and marinara) only change I made was used regular parmesan instead of vegan. Excited to have extra sausage on hand to make this again(since it was fairly time consuming to make everything from scratch)! Made with chickpea pasta on the side, paired well.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kara! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Denise says
Made this and the vegan sausage recipe – new summer fave!! Thanks!!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Denise! xo
Eve says
This was delicious and very easy to prepare. I added a little extra sauce at the end for my husband who loves red sauce, and roasted up some baby potatoes to go along and it was the perfect meal. My whole family loved it.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them, Eve! Thanks so much for sharing!
Morgan says
me again, i forgot to ask the question i was meaning to put in my last comment! what do you suggest i make with the zucchini insides? i don’t want to let it go to waste, but i don’t know what to do with it!
You could freeze & add to smoothies, such as this one. Hope that helps!
Morgan says
i made this last night with my partner! it was the perfect amount of food to feel satiated, but not to the point of overeating! super yummy with really great flavors! i am excited to try it again, but this time with your homemade sausage (since we used prepackaged vegan sausage we already had open) :) thanks for this recipe!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Morgan! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kelly says
I made these as directed and they are quite yummy! 5 stars for flavor and nutrition, but ultimately I give it 4 stars because there are so many steps required. Still worth the effort and time every so often.
Thanks for the honest feedback, Kelly! These can be a little more time consuming if making the vegan sausage and parm from scratch. These are items we like to keep stocked in the fridge/freezer since we love them so much and use in a variety of dishes =) So that’s one idea for a speedier prep!
Valerie says
OMG! This is so good! Such a light and healthy recipe for the summer months. My husband and I loved it, although he’s not a fan of fennel seed that is in the vegan sausage. I did make the homemade vegan sausage to go in these zucchini boats and it was phenomenal. I loved the crumbly texture. Even my 10 yo daughter liked it! We took the leftovers for lunch. It took me a little longer to make because it was a new recipe and I was making the homemade vegan sausage to go inside the zucchini. Fabulous recipe, this will definitely be a part of my go to recipes. I can’t wait to make it and share it with my family and friends, they’ll never believe it’s vegan! Next time I’ll probably make the sausage ahead of time to make the recipe quicker. Love it!
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Valerie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Adrianna says
Really enjoyed this recipe! It came at a perfect time having a surplus of zucchini from our garden. We used Italian sausage, and I also added TJ’s gluten free rice crumbs to give an extra crunch on top. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Adrianna! Love the addition too! Thanks so much for sharing!
Stacy says
Made this yesterday and it was delicious! Even my husband liked it who is not a vegetarian and not typically a fan of zucchini! Instead of cutting it up we ate it like a piece of pizza and the kids thought it was fun! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes!!!💚
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Stacy!
Jem says
Another perfect recipe! Added mushrooms to the onion mix and it was amazing! Served it with your pea pesto pasta. Thanks so much!
Thanks, Jem!!