Description
Italian Rice Stuffed Zucchini is the perfect late summer dinner or side dish. It's packed with fresh veggies and whole grains.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/4 cup marinara, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a medium casserole dish with olive oil. Spread 1 cup of marinara on the bottom. Set aside.
- Trim off the stem ends of the zucchini. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving about 1/2" rim to create "boats". Place in the casserole dish, and lightly spray the tops with olive oil. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and peppers, and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and peppers are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the diced cherry tomatoes, parsley, and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the brown rice and parmesan cheese until combined. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Spoon the mixture into the zucchini boats. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the stuffed zucchinis. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top each zucchini with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Select a casserole dish sized based on how big your zucchini are. You want to make sure they fit! I used an 11 x 7-inch dish. If you have large zucchini you could us 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
To store: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 zucchini
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 9.3 g
- Sodium: 533.3 mg
- Fat: 5.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.1 g
- Fiber: 5.1 g
- Protein: 7.9 g
- Cholesterol: 4.3 mg