Italian Zucchini Boats with Vegan Pesto

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Received zucchinis? Stuff zucchinis with this straightforward, scrumptious, protein-rich lentil filling, bake, after which smother with this vegan pistachio pesto. Yum! This vegan gluten-free zucchini recipe is sort of a meal in a single–simply scoop out the middle of the zucchinis to kind boats, then cook dinner up this Italian lentil stuffing and whizz up the pistachio pesto and your set. I like to serve these Italian Zucchini Boats with Vegan Pesto with a crusty entire grain bread and olive oil on the aspect. Any leftover zucchini boats are simply pretty much as good the following day, too.

Zucchinis, like different veggies together with bell peppers, winter squash, and tomatoes, make glorious containers for stuffing. And what higher strategy to fill these zucchinis than with this hearty, nutritious, flavorful stuffing, and a home made creamy pesto sauce? Full of the Italian flavors of garlic, tomatoes, and basil, these zucchini boats are brimming with good style, and good well being. Search for medium-sized zucchinis to create these zucchini boats–or use smaller zucchinis, however plan on getting a pair extras to make use of up the filling. In the event you’ve received summer time zucchinis popping out of the 12 months, that is the proper zucchini recipe to make use of up these beauties. You can even swap out pistachios for one more nut within the pesto, together with walnuts, or almonds. Or make a nut-free pesto utilizing sunflower or pumpkin seeds as an alternative of pistachios.

Description

These Italian Zucchini Boats with Vegan Pesto are full of a hearty, flavorful lentil filling, baked, after which slathered with a creamy pistachio pesto. Serve it with entire grain bread to make it a meal.

Italian Lentil Filling:

Zucchini Boats:

2 medium zucchinis (about 7 inches lengthy x 3 inches in diameter)*

Pistachio Vegan Pesto:

Garnish (non-compulsory):

2 tablespoons Vegan parmesan cheese (make it your self here)

Put together Italian Lentil Filling by heating olive oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium warmth. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and sauté for six minutes.
Add oregano and chili flakes and sauté for 1 minute.
Add lentils and sauté for 1 minute.
Add broth, stir properly, cowl, and cook dinner for five minutes.
Add the tomatoes (if utilizing recent tomatoes, embody the juice left from chopping them; if utilizing canned tomatoes, measure out juice and tomatoes) and salt (non-compulsory). Stir properly, and canopy. Prepare dinner for a further 15-20 minutes, till lentils are simply barely tender (al dente stage). Drain any leftover liquid.
Put together zucchini boats by slicing every one in half horizontally. Scoop out inside flesh from zucchini leaving about ½-inch thickness across the margin of the zucchini (see photograph above). Reserve the unused zucchini flesh for smoothies, muffins, or soup.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place zucchini boats, empty aspect up, in a 9×13-inch baking dish with ¼-inch of water added to the underside.
Fill every zucchini boat with the Italian Lentil Filling, heaping and rounding it in every shell. Reserve any leftover filling to get pleasure from as a side-dish or in a grain bowl.
Cowl with foil and bake crammed zucchini boats within the oven at 350 F for 40-45 minutes, till zucchini is tender but agency.
Whereas zucchini boats are baking, make pesto by inserting basil, garlic, dietary yeast, pistachios, and lemon juice in a meals processor or small blender. Course of the pesto, regularly including olive oil, till clean and creamy. Might must cease and scrape down sides as you course of. Put aside.
Take away zucchini boats from the oven. Drain leftover water from baking, or switch the zucchini boats to a platter or to 4 particular person dinner plates. Spoon pesto over every zucchini boat, dividing it evenly amongst every zucchini boat. Sprinkle ½ tablespoon vegan parmesan over every zucchini boat (non-compulsory).
Serve instantly. Makes 4 servings (1 zucchini boat per serving).

Notes

Choose zucchinis which can be about 7 inches lengthy and three inches in diameter for finest outcomes. In case your zucchinis are too small, the zucchini boats shall be smaller, and you’ll have leftover filling and pesto. Alternatively, you possibly can select three smaller zucchinis for this recipe, dividing substances amongst three zucchinis.

Class: American
Delicacies: Entree