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These zucchini pizza boats give you everything you love about pizza night without picking up the phone for takeout. Melty mozzarella, savory pizza sauce, and little rounds of pepperoni all piled into tender zucchini.
I make these every summer when zucchini starts showing up everywhere. They have all the things my family loves about pizza, the melty cheese, the sauce, the pepperoni, but the zucchini stands in for the crust, so they come out lighter and lower in carbs than a regular slice. Nobody walks away from the table feeling weighed down. They have become one of my go-to weeknight dinners when I want pizza flavors without the heavy dough.
Here is what makes my version work. The biggest thing I learned through testing is how to handle the zucchini before the toppings ever go on. A short 5-minute prebake softens it enough while it still holds its shape, and blotting it dry before and after pulls out the water that would otherwise leave you with watery, soggy boats. I also season the zucchini itself before it bakes, so every bite tastes like pizza instead of plain squash with toppings on top.
These surprise people. Even family members who would never reach for zucchini are happy to eat them, because they really do taste like pizza. If you love a lighter pizza night, my Crustless Pizza and Cauliflower Pizza Crust are two more I keep in the rotation.
Key Ingredients
- Zucchini. You want 4 large zucchini that are close to the same size so they cook evenly. The zucchini is your crust here, so picking firm, even ones makes a real difference in how they hold up. I tested large against medium side by side, and large is what I reach for. The big ones give you a bigger portion and they held up just as well, with no real difference in how they cooked or tasted.
- Pizza sauce. I use ¾ cup so every boat gets enough sauce. When I first tested this, the smaller amount left some boats dry, so I bumped it up. Spread it right down the center channel where you scooped.
- Freshly shredded mozzarella. Shred it yourself if you can. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose that can taste a little powdery and never melts as well. Freshly shredded mozzarella melts into that stretchy, bubbly pizza top you want.
- Mini pepperoni. These are the easy classic topping and they tuck right into the cheese. If you cannot find the mini slices, cut full-size pepperoni into quarters and you are good to go.
- Italian seasoning. This is the step a lot of recipes skip. I sprinkle it right on the zucchini before it bakes, along with salt and pepper, so the flavor is built into the boat and not only in the toppings.
- Parmesan and fresh basil. Both are optional garnishes at the end. A little parmesan adds extra savory flavor and the basil gives a fresh pop right before serving.
How to Make Zucchini Pizza Boats
Step 1: Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Step 2: Slice and scoop. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise but leave the tops on. Use a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the insides, being careful not to pierce through. Set the halves cut side up on the baking sheet and blot the insides with a paper towel.
Step 3: Brush with oil. Use a pastry brush to coat each zucchini half with the extra virgin olive oil. This helps it roast instead of dry out.
Step 4: Season and prebake. Sprinkle each half with Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Bake for 5 minutes, then take them out and pat them dry again with a paper towel. That short bake plus the blotting is what keeps them from going watery.
Step 5: Add the sauce. Spread about 1½ tablespoons of pizza sauce down the center of each zucchini.
Step 6: Add the cheese. Sprinkle ¼ cup of freshly shredded mozzarella over the sauce on each half.
Step 7: Add the pepperoni. Arrange 14 to 16 mini pepperoni slices over the cheese.
Step 8: Top and bake. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted, then turn on the broiler and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is slightly charred. Watch them closely under the broiler because they brown fast. Let them rest a few minutes before serving.
Step 8: Garnish. Finish with chopped fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan.
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. These are best served fresh, since zucchini softens the longer it sits, so I make them when I know we will eat them that night. I do not recommend freezing these, because they do not freeze well.
More Easy Dinner Recipes You May Enjoy
Pizza Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini squash
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- ¾ cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅔ cup sliced mini pepperoni
- fresh basil chopped, optional garnish
- Parmesan cheese optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise but do not cut off the tops. Use either a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the insides of the zucchini. (Be careful not to pierce through the zucchini) Place the sliced and scooped zucchini halves, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Blot the inside of the zucchini with a paper towel.4 large zucchini squash
- Use a pastry brush to brush each of the zucchini halves with the extra virgin olive oil.1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sprinkle each halved zucchini with Italian seasoning, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the oven. Pat dry with a paper towel.1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- Spread 1½ tablespoons of pizza sauce down the center of each zucchini.¾ cup pizza sauce
- Sprinkle each zucchini half with ¼ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, ⅔ cup sliced mini pepperoni
- Arrange 14-16 slices of mini pepperoni over the mozzarella cheese layer. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Turn on the broiler and broil for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly charred. Allow the pizza boats to rest a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.fresh basil, Parmesan cheese
Jenn’s Notes
- Keep the prebake to 5 minutes, not 10. A longer prebake sounds like it would help, but testing proved otherwise, 10 minutes left the zucchini mushy by the time it went through the filling, second bake, and broiler. Five minutes softens it just enough while keeping it sturdy enough to hold its shape.
- Blot before the prebake and again right after. Zucchini releases a surprising amount of water as it bakes. That second round of blotting right when it comes out of the oven is what separates a firm, sturdy boat from a watery one.
- Season the zucchini itself, not just the toppings. Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning go directly on the zucchini before anything else. If you rely on the toppings alone to carry the flavor, you’ll taste the difference.
- Finish under the broiler. Baking melts the cheese, but a couple of minutes under the broiler is what gives you those browned, bubbly spots that make these taste like they came from a real pizzeria. Stay close, it goes from perfectly golden to overdone in a matter of seconds.
- Cut even halves. Try to slice your zucchini into halves that are similar in size and thickness so everything finishes cooking at the same time.
Haven’t tired it yet. Wanted to know if they could be done in a fryer? Love the idea.
You probably can make these in the air fryer, but I haven’t tested them myself, so I can’t guarantee the results. If you’d like to try it, I’d start at 375°F for about 8 to 12 minutes, checking until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep in mind that air fryer cooking times can vary by model, so you may need to adjust a bit. Let us know how they turn out if you try it! 😊
Love this recipe!
delicious