These Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the perfect summer appetizer or side dish to make with all that farm-fresh zucchini. Making them is as simple as scooping out the seeds and stuffing them with a delicious lemon, ricotta, breadcrumb, parsley, garlic, and Parmigiano Reggiano stuffing.
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Zucchini is one of the most versatile vegetables and I use it all the time, especially in the summer and these lemon ricotta stuffed zucchini boats are one of my favorite ways to prepare it!
And if you love the lemon and ricotta flavor combination, I’m sure you will also enjoy my lemon ricotta spinach pasta and lemon blueberry ricotta cake too.
This recipe comes together quickly and makes a great side dish to any main course!
Recipe ingredients
Some ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Zucchini. Use medium-sized zucchini for this recipe. Save the small zucchini for recipes like spaghetti alla Nerano, and the large zucchini for zucchini bread.
- Ricotta. Whole milk ricotta will yield best results.
- Breadcrumbs. I’m using plain breadcrumbs but you can also use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs if you’d like.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
- Begin by preheating the oven to 400f and setting the rack in the middle. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and with a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and a 1/4 cup of fresh parsley. Slice 1 lemon into thin rounds and cut another into wedges. The final lemon will be juiced.
- Removing the seeds creates the perfect interior for stuffing like shown in pic 2. Line the zucchini boats in a pan and drizzle a touch of olive oil onto each one. Season the zucchini with 1 tsp kosher salt and a 1/2 tsp of black pepper divided evenly. Bake the zucchini for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
- Grate a 1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese or use good quality pre-grated cheese.
- Mince 2 cloves of garlic and saute them in a 1/4 cup of olive oil on medium heat until golden. Once golden remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix 2 cups ricotta, 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, juice of 1 lemon, and the garlic and oil mixture from step 4.
- After the zucchini boats have finished their initial baking, they should be tender and fully cooked. Let them cool for a few minutes before beginning the stuffing process.
- Turn the oven to the broil setting. Stuff the zucchini with the lemon ricotta mixture like shown.
- Sprinkle a touch of breadcrumbs onto the zucchini and scatter the lemon rounds around the pan. Broil the zucchini on the middle rack until the stuffing is nice and brown. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Always keep an eye on the broiler by checking every minute or so. When finished the ricotta stuffing will be nice and brown and fully cooked. Serve the boats with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of parsley, extra parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
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Top tips
- Precook the zucchini. You may be tempted to skip this step, but precooking the zucchini before adding the stuffing ensures an easy stuffing process and a quick broil.
- Seasoning. Be sure to season the inside of the zucchini with salt before adding the stuffing for maximum flavor.
- Ricotta stuffing. If you’re left with extra ricotta stuffing, use it as a spread on some crusty bread. It’s delicious!
More zucchini recipes
Here are a few more zucchini recipes I think you’ll love!
- Zucchini bruschetta – with whipped lemon ricotta.
- Sausage stuffed zucchini – with marinara and mozzarella.
- Grilled zucchini – with lemon and oregano.
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Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 medium lemons
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400f and set rack in middle. Cut 4 medium zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the interior seeds with a spoon. Season the interior of the zucchini with a total of 1 tsp kosher salt and a 1/2 tsp of pepper. Drizzle oil onto each one and bake the zucchini in a sheet pan for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
- Chop a 1/4 cup fresh parsley and mince 2 garlic cloves. Grate a 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or use good quality grated cheese. Slice 1 lemon into rounds.
- In a pan over medium heat saute the garlic in a 1/4 cup of olive oil until lightly golden. Set aside the garlic and oil mixture.
- In a large bowl mix the 2 cups ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup parsley and the garlic/oil mixture.
- Let the zucchini boats cool for a few minutes after baking then stuff with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle a touch of breadcrumbs onto each and arrange the sliced lemons in the pan. Broil the zucchini boats for 5-7 minutes on the middle rack until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Serve with extra grated cheese and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any extra ricotta stuffing is excellent as a spread on crusty Italian bread.
- Use medium to small zucchini. They are more tender and have more flavor than large zucchini which tend to be waterlogged.
- Precook the zucchini until they are very tender (about 20-25 minutes on 400f). This will ensure an easy stuffing process and a quick broil.
- Season the zucchini before adding the stuffing. Salting the inside of the zucchini ensures that the zucchini themselves will not be bland.
- Leftovers – The lemon ricotta stuffed zucchini can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 350f until hot all the way through (approximately 20 minutes).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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