Stuffed Zucchini Boats

A weeknight main of zucchini boats filled with a tomato-quinoa mixture, finished with feta and lemon. The zucchini roasts until tender while the filling stays structured and moist.

By Julienne

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 120 g quinoa rinsed
• 360 ml water for cooking quinoa
• 4 medium zucchini halved lengthwise and seeded
• 10 ml olive oil divided
• 2 g fine salt divided
• 1 g black pepper
• 20 ml olive oil divided
• 1 small yellow onion finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 15 g tomato paste
• 400 g canned diced tomatoes drained lightly
• 2 g dried oregano
• 1.5 g ground cumin
• 0.5 g red pepper flakes
• 4 g fine salt divided
• 10 g fresh parsley chopped
• 15 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 80 g feta cheese crumbled

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment. Set out the saucepan and skillet. Oven fully preheated and baking sheet ready.
2. Put the quinoa and water in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff. Quinoa is tender, with the germ ring visible and no pooling water left.
3. While the quinoa cooks, halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the centers, leaving a 1 cm border. Brush the cut sides with 10 ml of the olive oil and place them cut-side up on the baking sheet. Season with 2 g of the salt and the black pepper. Zucchini are neatly hollowed and lightly oiled.
4. Heat the remaining 20 ml olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, oregano, cumin, optional red pepper flakes, and the remaining 4 g salt. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Tomato mixture looks glossy and reduced, not watery.
5. Stir the cooked quinoa into the tomato mixture along with the parsley and lemon juice. Taste and adjust only if needed with a little extra salt from the measured total if the filling seems flat. Filling is cohesive and spoonable, with quinoa evenly coated.
6. Spoon the filling into the zucchini boats, mounding it lightly. Top evenly with the feta. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the zucchini are tender when pierced with a knife and the feta is lightly browned at the edges. Zucchini yields to a knife tip but still holds its shape; feta is warmed and just beginning to color.
7. Rest the zucchini boats for 3 minutes before serving so the filling settles. Serve hot from the pan. Filling holds together when moved to plates.