Stuffed Zucchini with turkey Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and spinach is a flavorful, comforting yet light dinner recipe. This clean meal is paleo, keto, and and an amazing way of celebrating zucchini season.
Have you ever tried stuffed zucchini?
Spoiler alert: they’re fun little dreamboats.
Stuffing vegetables is a fabulous way of changing up clean eating. Just take for instance my Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Beef and Brussels Sprouts, Turkey Stuffed Butternut Squash and more!
Life is funner when stuffing is involved.
I often find myself making the same meals week in and week out. So to keep it fresh, easy, and healthful but also avoid feeling dull, stuffed zucchini to the rescue!
Let’s stuff some zucchini!
Ingredients for Stuffed Zucchini:
Turkey Italian Sausage: the protein source of this dreamboat! I like using sausage instead of regular ground turkey because it provides a ginormous boost of flavor. If you prefer using ground turkey, beef, pork, or chicken, go for it! You can add your own seasonings to spice it up.
Onion & Garlic: Adding a great deal of flavor, onion and garlic give that big bold richness. If you follow a low-FODMAP diet, skip them.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: for tang and bright cheery flavor, sun-dried tomatoes are a big flavor and color booster and bring that Mediterranean vibe.
Basil: fresh herby flavor!
Spinach: vitamins and iron!
Zucchini: The caravan that makes this thing a meal! Zucchini is easy on the digestive system and is fun to stuff with things
Sea salt, red pepper flakes, dried oregano: flavor additions! Not mandatory, but recommended.
Optional: pasta sauce, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and/or mozarella cheese.
How to Stuff Zucchini:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut the tip and tail off of the zucchini and slice in half length-wise. Scoop the seeds out of the zucchini, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch of flesh around the edges. Save the insides for the stuffing mixture (don’t throw them away!).
Place zucchini halves in a large casserole dish cut-side up and lightly coat with avocado oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil. Add the chopped onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is transluscent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey sausage, leaving it in a solid chunk. Brown for 3 minutes, then flip and brown for another 3 minutes.
Use a spatula to chop the Italian sausage into smaller pieces. Stir in the zucchini innards and seeds, along with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until sausage is cooked through.
Scoop the turkey mixture into the zucchini boats. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until zucchini reaches desired done-ness.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add kalamata olives and feta cheese for a Greek feel.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and/or breadcrumbs.
- Saturate with your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce for a saucy approach!
- Replace the turkey Italian sausage with your favorite ground meat.
- Add more vegetables like cherry tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, carrot, etc.
More Healthy Zucchini Recipes:
- Zucchini and Ground Turkey Skillet
- Spinach Frittata with Zucchini, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese
- Orange Marinated Chicken Bowls with Zucchini “Rice”
- Thai Zucchini Noodles with Sesame Almond Ginger Sauce
- Vegan Red Curry Zucchini Noodle Bowls
Stuff thy zucchini!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini squash
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 lb turkey Italian sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, or 2 tsp dried
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut the tip and tail off of the zucchini and slice in half length-wise. Scoop the seeds out of the zucchini, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch of flesh around the edges. Save the insides for the stuffing mixture (don't throw them away!).
- Place zucchini halves in a large casserole dish cut-side up and lightly coat with avocado oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil. Add the chopped onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey sausage, leaving it in a solid chunk. Brown for 3 minutes, then flip and brown for another 3 minutes.
- Use a spatula to chop the Italian sausage into smaller pieces. Stir in the zucchini innards and seeds, along with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until sausage is cooked through.
- Scoop the turkey mixture into the zucchini boats. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until zucchini reaches desired done-ness. Serve with any of your favorite side dishes and enjoy!
Marcy youker
Sunday 28th of June 2020
very good recipe I don't like dry sun tomatoes ,so I use roma fresh tomatoes, it turned out great, thanks for your recipes
Julia
Sunday 28th of June 2020
Ooh, I love the idea of using roma tomatoes! Thanks a bunch for the feedback! xo
Jeff stroud
Saturday 27th of June 2020
Great recipe! I see that you don't roast the zucchini? is that right, or did I miss something?
Julia
Sunday 28th of June 2020
Hi Jeff,
The zucchini gets roasted for 20 to 25 minutes with the stuffing inside at 425 degrees (or until the zucchini reaches your desired level of "done-ness") :D Let me know if you have any other questions!