Take advantage of fresh summer produce and make this delicious Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini!
Topping my list of favorite things in my new city is the Dallas Farmers Market.
It's open all week, and it's home to fun shops and delicious restaurants with a farmers market on the weekend. I'm slowly eating my way through the place!
The Farmers Market is within walking distance from my apartment, so I try to get there every weekend although it's not always possible. It has been amazing to see the selection change as produce comes into season.
The first time I went it was slim pickings, but now the tables are packed with all sorts of tempting veggies.
Right now, zucchini and summer squash are filling every table, and they were so bright and colorful that I had to pick some up to make this Vegetarian Stuffed Squash!
Vegetarian Stuffed Squash
The basket I chose had a couple pattypan squashes.
I've always loved those cute little round squashes, and they were begging to be filled with something delicious!
This Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini recipe shows off those pattypans and zucchinis to their best. It's colorful and delicious way to use up squash or zucchini from your garden or the farmers market.
This stuffed zucchini is filled with an Italian-inspired quinoa and sausage filling that's super tasty and easy to make. It's a simple combination of quinoa, fresh sauteed veggies, vegetarian sausage, and a little cheese. Yum!
If you're not a fan of vegetarian sausage, feel free to substitute veggies (red peppers and/or mushrooms would be delish) or even beans. Chickpeas would be tasty.
I served this quinoa stuffed zucchini sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese and a side of Marinara Sauce for dipping. Everything's better with a little dipping sauce, isn't it?
And aren't the colors in this Stuffed Summer Squash gorgeous ... makes me want to do a recipe repeat soon!
Have fun customizing this easy stuffed veggie recipe with your favorite ingredients.
I'm thinking olives and feta cheese would be super tasty additions myself! You could also vary the type of squash between zucchini, summer squash (the yellow ones), pattypans, and more.
However you customize it, this Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini is a recipe you are going to want to make all summer long!
Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 6 medium summer squash or zucchini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 vegetarian Italian sausages, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup chopped basil, plus additional for serving
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Marinara sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine quinoa and broth in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cover pot and cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
- While quinoa is cooking, slice the top third off the squash/zucchini. (If the zucchini will not sit flat without tipping over, cut a thin slice off the bottom.)
- Scoop out insides of squash, leaving a ¼-inch shell. Place in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; set aside.
- Roughly chop the zucchini flesh you just scooped out, discarding anything that's very seedy. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add onion and crushed red pepper flakes to oil and saute until onion begins to brown.
- Stir in chopped squash and cooked until it begins to brown.
- Mix in chopped Italian sausage and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Add garlic to mixture and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in grape tomatoes and cook until slightly softened.
- Remove mixture from heat, then stir in quinoa and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Let mixture cool for a few minutes, then stir in mozzarella.
- Sprinkle the shells generously with salt and pepper, then fill with quinoa mixture.
- Add ½ cup water to the bottom of the baking pan.
- Cover the pan with foil, then bake until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Serve the stuffed zucchini hot, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and basil, with a side of warm marinara sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
What is your favorite way to prepare zucchini and summer squash?
I haven't seen pattypan squash around here. These look so yummy, Ginnie, and the market sounds like lots of fun!
I don't think I've ever seen it anywhere other than a farmers market, except maybe Whole Foods. 😉 Definitely worth tracking down though!