Fresh basil is plentiful in the Summer months and pairs so nicely with zucchini, another hot weather crop. I found a tasty recipe that combines the two and these Creamy Zucchini Boats are my new fave. I found the recipe in Cooking Light, but modified it a little, using fat free ricotta and grated carrots. It's savory, warm, soft and delicious. Perfect for an appetizer for your Summer BBQs.
To see the recipe just read more.
Modified from a Cooking Light recipe
Ingredients
3 zucchinis
1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup (4 oz.) fat free ricotta cheese
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- Wash each zucchini thoroughly. Cut off the ends and then cut each one in half. Then cut each half lengthwise so you have 12 pieces of zucchini total.
- With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and compost them, or use them to make soup broth. Place the zucchini boats on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
- Now you're ready to make the filling. Chop the basil and the parsley and place it in a bowl with the garlic, grated carrot, ricotta, Parmesan, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix it thoroughly.
- Now fill each boat with the creamy mixture, pressing it down with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
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Proenza Schouler
Burton
Farfetch
Ooohh! Looks yummy. =D
1I'm so into zucchini right now and have been wanting a new recipe. This sounds so good. I'll try these this week!
2Cooking Light is my new favorite! Every recipe I've tried is fantastic, and it never tastes boring and light.
3great recipe!
4These look fantastic!! I'll be making these w/in the week. Thanks!!
5I love Zucchini! I'll have to try this.
6We just harvested a ton of zucchini from our garden. This comes at a perfect time. Thanks, Fit!
7I love stuffed zucchini, so I'm very glad to have a healthy recipe for it. It's wonderful to serve at parties.
8Zucchini is not my favorite, but these look like something I would like.
9looks delic.
10This sounds so yummy! but how many calories is that?
11xxx
I adapted this slightly with what I had available and it turned out GREAT.... here's the nutritional info for my way:
2 whole Zucchinis (washed, large)
2/3 cup Ricotta Cheese, part skim
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup fresh white mushrooms (chopped into small pieces)
1.5 tablespoons Basil
2 cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons Grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 cup hot water
Olive oil (for the pan)
8 Servings
12Amount Per Serving
Calories 55.8
Total Fat 2.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Cholesterol 7.3 mg
Sodium 57.4 mg
Potassium 307.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.6 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 3.7 g
+ cheese + mushrooms = even better Zucchini boats
13We made these the other night and changed the recipe ever so slightly. After scooping out the seeds, we just chopped them up and added them to the filling! So yummy!
14I've made these a bunch and they are now a family favorite. Like KatieMise, I took the seeds and put them in the mix, but I sauteed them first so I could cook out a bit of the liquid.
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