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.
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!
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!
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
Easy and delicious stuffed zucchini with lemon, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, breadcrumbs and parsley.
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
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
Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.2g | Protein: 22.4g | Fat: 26.6g | Saturated Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 915mg | Potassium: 701mg | Fiber: 2.8g | Sugar: 4.6g | Calcium: 514mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Curious about the sliced lemons on the baking pan … not sure how they fit into the final dish? Will be making this for dinner next week and looking forward to it !!
Brooklyn Babe in Denver
Hi Veronica. They are just for garnish. Feel free to omit.
Very good I will add to my dinner rotation. And I can see how this will be a great snack as well with the glass of wine. Oh yeah.
Mondays are meatless so to add this to our meal on Monday was just wonderful and easy to prepare.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Wanda!
Jim,
Thank you for your superb recipes. I ALWAYS check out your recipes and watch your detailed instructions. You are not just a great chef, but a seasoned educator in your presentation. Bravo young man, you are an asset to your profession.
Hi Bernadette, thank you so much for the wonderful comment. Jim and I are so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
James, made these for the first time. OMG, Absolutely spectacular!! My daughter said these were better than any fine dining fare. These were even better the next day, re-heated in th air fryer. Just loved them. Thank you for all you do!!!
Janie
Hi Janie, I’m so happy you enjoyed these – they’re definitely a favorite around here too! Sounds like a great way to use the air fryer, so thanks for sharing that tip!
Can this be frozen?
Hi Emily, these are probably best served fresh but you can certainly try freezing them.
Hey Jim. Loved it. Can the stuffing be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge a couple of days. Thanks Joe
Hi Joe, I’m happy you liked it! Yes, the stuffing should be fine in the fridge for a couple of days.
Hi Jim! Tried these last nite. A little soupy as I forgot to add the breadcrumbs but still delicious! Next time I’ll save that second glass of wine until I’ve finished my prep🤪🤪
Hi Deb, glad you enjoyed this one (and the wine!) 😉
I scaled this recipe for only 1 zucchini (single serving) and it worked out great. I was generous with the garlic and added a little bit of red onion. Definitely plan to try some of the variations of additions to the ricotta filling in the future.
Hi Carol. The red onion and extra garlic sound great. Glad you enjoyed it!
What do you do with the inside of the zucchini that was scooped out?
Thanks
Denise
I would save it for vegetable stock.
Jim, these look so good. I still have a ton of zucchini coming in my CSA – I’ll have to put it to good use!
Thanks Jo. Hope you enjoy them!