Baked Zucchine Boats

These zucchini boats are the kind of dinner that makes everybody happy, even the kid who swears they don’t eat vegetables.

Hollowed-out zucchini halves get packed with a filling of ground beef, rice, garlic, onion, and generous handfuls of fresh dill and parsley.

Then they’re blanketed in spaghetti sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan and breadcrumbs, and baked until the zucchini is tender and the top gets crusty.

Eight boats from four zucchini. That’s a full table fed from one baking dish.

Variations

• Use ground turkey or Italian sausage in place of beef for a lighter or spicier take.
• Make it vegetarian by swapping the meat for sauteed mushrooms and a second cup of rice.
• Try fresh basil instead of dill for a more classic Italian flavor profile.

Kitchen Tips

• Scoop the seeds but leave a sturdy wall on the zucchini. Too thin and they collapse; too thick and the filling has nowhere to go.
• Mix the rice, egg, and breadcrumbs into the meat mixture off the heat. The egg binds everything so the filling holds together in neat mounds.
• Cover the dish for the full bake time. This traps steam and cooks the zucchini through without drying out the filling.
• Let it rest 5 minutes before serving so the boats hold their shape when you plate them.