Pizza night is the automatic yes in my house. Vegetables are the hard sell. These pizza zucchini boats are where the two meet: a halved zucchini filled with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni, broiled until the cheese browns the way the top of a real pizza does.
I started making these pizza boats to use up summer zucchini (my zucchini noodles and zucchini bread are two other great options). They’ve stuck around because they’re quick, satisfying, and feel a little more special than another weeknight vegetable side dish.
After adjusting the bake times, I finally landed on a version that keeps the zucchini from turning too soft while still delivering a pizza fix without the crust.
Don’t Miss This Step
Zucchini naturally releases water as it cooks. Seeing moisture in the cavity is normal and doesn’t mean anything went wrong.
After the first bake, wipe dry both the inside of the zucchini as well as the pan under each boat. This will help the sauce stay thick instead of watery.
Ingredient Notes
Zucchini: Look for zucchini that are similar in width from end to end. They are easier to hollow out, cook more evenly, and hold the toppings better after baking.
Mozzarella: Freshly shredded mozzarella melts into a smoother layer than pre-shredded cheese. The anti-caking coating on bagged shredded cheese can leave the top looking drier and less evenly melted.
Italian seasoning: Season the zucchini, not just the sauce. During testing, I found the zucchini needed seasoning of its own. A little Italian seasoning on the cut surface before baking helps the whole boat taste like pizza, not just the toppings.
How To Know This Recipe’s Done
The cheese should be completely melted with golden brown spots across the top. The pepperoni edges will look slightly crisp, and the zucchini boats should give easily when pierced with a fork while still holding their shape when lifted with a spatula.
Take The Flavor From Good To Great
I add grated parmesan on top. If your zucchini pizza boats have ever tasted flat in the past, that is the fix, and it does it without more salt. Add it over the mozzarella before the broiler so it crisps.
Storage
These are best the same day. Leftovers keep in the fridge, but the shell keeps releasing water, so a day-old boat is softer and wetter. Reheat in the oven, not the microwave: the microwave steams them soft again, while the oven re-melts the cheese and firms the shell back up. They do not freeze; the zucchini turns mushy and watery once it thaws.
Recipe Test Notes
I first published this recipe in May 2023 and went back to it in early 2026 for one reason: to get the cheese to char on top. My independent recipe tester, Angela, found the cheese melted properly but never developed the browned, pizza-style finish I wanted. Extending the bake time helped the cheese, but it also left the zucchini too soft.
The fix was less oven time, not more. I cut the prebake to five minutes, shortened the second bake, and added a broiler step to finish. Now the cheese browns while the zucchini boat stays firm.
These zucchini pizza boats make a perfect light dinner anytime of the year, but especially in the summer. See all my favorite summer dinner ideas in one place.
Leave a Comment