Stuffed Zucchini Boats
with Rice and Chickpeas
Zucchini is one of those great, very neutral vegetables that can go well with almost anything.
Over the years I developed this recipe with the idea to make it plant based but very filling. By using chickpeas, I did exactly that. Nourishing, filling and very delicious! The great thing about this recipe is that the zucchini and rice mixture can be prepared ahead of time. So the next day, all you need to do is put it together and bake it.
Yields2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup (186 g) cooked rice
- 2 green zucchini
- Olive oil spray
- 1/2 cup (82 g) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 7 1/2 ounces (212 g) arrabbiata sauce or any ready-made sauce, like marinara
- 1/2 Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Parmesan cheese, if desired
Prep Ahead
Cook the rice. You will only need 1 cup (186 g) for this recipe.
Cooking Method
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
-
Cut the zucchini lengthwise and spray it with olive oil. Place it cut side down on the baking pan and then bake it for about 15 minutes or until tender so that a fork can go through it easily. Once the zucchini is baked, take a tablespoon and scoop out the middle of the zucchini. Set it aside to use in the stuffing.
-
In a mixing bowl, add the rice, chickpeas, about 4 tablespoons (44 g) of the saved zucchini and enough arrabbiata sauce to make everything come together nicely (about 4 tablespoons [60 ml]). Add in the salt, basil and oregano.
-
Stuff the zucchini with the rice mixture, and on each of the zucchini halves add about 1 teaspoon of arrabbiata sauce on top. Grate some parmesan cheese on top if desired, and then spray some olive oil on top.
-
Place the stuffed zucchini in the oven. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for about 10 to 15 minutes or until you see a nice crisp.
Meal Prep Notes
Serve one serving of stuffed zucchini while it’s warm and allow the rest to cool down. Place the remainder of the meal in a glass container and store it in the fridge for the next 3 days. To warm it up, use a nonstick pan with a lid or the microwave.
If you wish to prepare this dish completely in advance, prepare and bake the zucchini as described above. Allow it to cool completely, then add it to a glass container with a lid. You can also prepare the zucchini stuffing ahead of time. If you wish to do that, once you make the rice mixture with rice and chickpeas, allow it to cool down to room temperature and then add it to a glass container with a lid. When you are ready to enjoy your meal the next day, all you need to do is stuff the zucchini boats and pop them in the oven. It’s that easy!
Credit:
Reprinted with permission from The Clean Eating Meal Prep Cookbook by Snezana Paucinac. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024. Photo credit: Marija Stjepanović.
