For a paleo-friendly twist on lasagna, these zucchini boats offer all the flavor and some extra nutrition too. Smarts: This recipe is just for the zucchini boats, but if you want a side dish, these would be great with roasted garlic broccoli or a simple green salad.
Kale / Bell peppers - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Mushrooms - Chop mushrooms, if not pre-chopped. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make sauce - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating and start roasting zucchini halves while sauce simmers.) Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and saute, breaking it apart, until browned in spots and nearly cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in kale, bell peppers, and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes more. Stir in Italian seasoning and tomato paste. Pour crushed tomatoes and water over sausage and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes to let the flavors develop and the sauce thicken. Taste and season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Zucchini - Slice in half lengthwise and then use a spoon to scoop out the center of each zucchini half, leaving ~1/2” / 1.25 cm thick shell on all sides (discard the center you scoop out or save it for another purpose). Check out this video. (Can be done up to 4 days ahead)
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Brush a sheet pan with some cooking oil. Place zucchini halves on pan, cut-side facing up. Sprinkle zucchini with some salt and pepper.
Transfer pan to heated oven and bake until zucchini halves are starting to turn tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove zucchini from oven and fill with sauce. (Note: If you line the zucchini up so they are touching it will make it easier to spoon the filling in.)
Return zucchini to oven. Bake for 10 minutes to let the flavors come together.
When zucchini is done roasting, sprinkle with some red pepper flakes if you’d like. Enjoy!