suemunzlinger's Recipe

Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini

Category: Main Dish

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
1/4 cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
14 ounces Italian sausage, removed from casing
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1 Bring a large pot of water to boil while also preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
2 Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh using a spoon, so each zucchini boat is about 1/4 inch thick.

3 Put the zucchini in the boiling water and let them cook for a minute, then remove them from the water. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish, then add the marinara sauce so it covers the bottom of the pan.

4 In a large saute pan, brown the sausage and break it up into smaller pieces while it is cooking. Once browned thoroughly, set it aside. Add the oil to the pan and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and let them cook on medium-low heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the sausage and some salt and pepper to the pan, letting everything cook together for another 2-3 minutes.

5 Use a spoon to scoop the sausage mixture into the zucchini (each should hold about 1/3 cup of sausage). Top each zucchini with a sprinkle of tomatoes, a tablespoon of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

6 Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 35 minutes, or the cheese is melted.