Have a few extra-large zucchinis?

Stuff them with Italian sausage, onions, garlic, tomato, and fresh breadcrumbs, and bake.

(Swap in medium-sized zucchinis, too!)

Sausage stuffed zucchini on a platter and topped with a sprig of herbs.

Elise Bauer

Fellow gardeners, you know this tale well.

Sometimes the plant warns you.

Regular zucchini production starts slowing down, odd for early summer.

Italian zucchini recipe of two sausage stuffed zucchini on a platter.

Elise Bauer

All of the plant’s attention is going to feeding that one humongous, baseball bat of a zuke.

Fortunately, those ginormous zucchini are perfect for stuffing!

How To Make Stuffed Zucchini

Making stuffed zucchini is easy.

Italian sausage cooking in a skillet to make the best stuffed zucchini filling.

Elise Bauer

One egg is all you’re gonna wanna bind the stuffing together.

Into the oven go these stuffed zucchini boats to bake for 40 minutes.

Make-Ahead Stuffed Zucchini

Need to make ahead?

Sausage browned in a skillet to make baked stuffed zucchini.

Elise Bauer

you’re free to easily stuff the zucchini a day ahead of time.

Just stuff the zucchini, keep it chilled, then bake right before serving.

This is a meal in and of itselfno need to serve it with anything else.

A zucchini is cut horizontally and placed in a metal baking pan. The seeds are scooped out to make sausage and zucchini.

Elise Bauer

Ingredients

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat.

Add the sausage, and gently cook until it is mostly (but not completely) cooked through.

Stir frequently and break up the sausage into smaller pieces while it cooks.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Recipe cook the onions and garlic

Elise Bauer

Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

Cut the zucchini in half.

Remove and discard any thick seeds from the insides you’ve scooped out.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini make the stuffing

Elise Bauer

Chop up about a cup of the remaining zucchini flesh.

(Whatever remains beyond a cup use for another purpose, discard, or compost.)

You should have 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan (rendered from the sausage).

Sausage stuffed zucchini is in a baking sheet and filled with cooked sausage filling.

Elise Bauer

Add the onions and cook until softened.

Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients to the sausage and onions.

Baked Stuffed zucchini are out of the oven and the filling is crispy.

Elise Bauer

Place the zucchini halves in a baking dish and add the stuffing.

Bake at 375F for 40 minutes.

Let sit to cool briefly before serving.