Spinach And Artichoke Zucchini Boat Recipe

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that can be so many things to so many people. We see it grated in zucchini bread, spiralized with marinara, fried with dip, or diced up in a salad. Today we're featuring it as a delicious vessel for a mouthwatering spinach and artichoke filling.

When the seasoned boats are roasted, their natural sweetness comes out as they caramelize in the oven. The filling of soft cream cheese and tangy feta mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and chopped spinach provides the perfect example of how combining simple ingredients can elevate a dish to new heights. These stuffed zucchini boats make the perfect light dinner paired with soup, or a scrumptious side dish with just about any entree.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I love using basic everyday vegetables in new and creative ways, especially when they are in season and plentiful. At first glance, this recipe might look complicated, but it's actually very easy and only a few tools are needed."

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up zucchini, garlic, spinach, lemon, chives, and optional parsley. When choosing the zucchini, look for large, straight ones, so that they are easy to work with in terms of cutting out the zucchini flesh and stuffing.

Then grab some marinated artichoke hearts and marinated sun-dried tomatoes. The marinated versions will add a lot of flavor to the filling and this will save the step of seasoning those separately.

Hit up the dairy section of the store for mayonnaise, cream cheese, and feta cheese. Of course, if you want to make this recipe vegan, just go for dairy-free versions of these. Lastly, you'll need olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place the zucchini cut side up on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 20 minutes and cool for 15 minutes.

Add the remaining oil to a medium frying pan and bring the heat to medium.

Add the garlic, chopped artichoke hearts, and spinach to a frying pan and cook for 10 minutes until the spinach is completely wilted.

To the pan add the remaining salt, remaining pepper, lemon juice, mayonnaise, cream cheese, feta cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.

Use a paring knife to cut a ¼-inch thick rim around each zucchini half, then scoop out the flesh. Save the zucchini flesh for another use.

Stuff the artichoke spinach mixture into the hollowed-out zucchini and put it back into the oven for 10 minutes.

Top with chopped chives and optional parsley and serve.

There are many ways to use the leftover zucchini flesh that you remove to make the zucchini boats. It can be added to soup for extra thickness and nutrition. If you are making Minestrone soup, the zucchini will be a perfect addition. If you opt for any blended soup, you can add the zucchini flesh to the blender when you add the other ingredients for extra smoothness.

Add the zucchini to stuffed peppers by mixing it in with the rice, ground beef, or a bean mixture before stuffing the peppers. Other entrees like pasta dishes can easily incorporate zucchini. Try it in a vegetable lasagna, pasta primavera, or baked ziti.

Sauces are another great way to use up the zucchini. Blend it into marinara sauce, romesco sauce, or pesto. You won't taste the neutral zucchini, but you'll get the added benefits of the nutrients. The zucchini also lends itself to any type of breakfast omelet, frittata, or tofu scramble. Just add it when you add the eggs, tofu, cheese, herbs, and other ingredients.

If you want the zucchini boats to serve as your entree, they pair well with a bowl of soup. Consider tomato basil, lentil soup, roasted red pepper soup, minestrone, or chicken noodle soup. A salad also works nicely with the boats. Anything from a simple green salad to something fancier like a Caesar salad, Caprese salad, or a Greek salad. For heartier options, try a salad with a grain like a spring vegetable and herb grain salad, a black bean quinoa salad, or a farro and roasted beet salad. Serving some warm crusty bread is a nice accompaniment with the zucchini boats and soup or salad.

If you plan to serve the boats with an entree as a side dish, they go nicely with grilled chicken breast, chicken piccata, herb-crusted tilapia, shrimp scampi, pork tenderloin, or flank steak. The boats also lend themselves to a variety of pasta dishes like lasagna, pasta primavera, fettuccini alfredo, or spicy penne pasta. For dessert, a classic tiramisu, fresh berries, or lemon cake all finish the meal off deliciously.