Do you want a spaghetti sauce recipe but without pasta as the base? Then these Italian Zucchini Boats are just the answer.
Zucchini is used as a “boat” to hold the pasta sauce. They are then topped with freshly grated Mozzarella cheese that melts and browns in the oven. Yum!
This recipe was inspired by the girls at Easy Budget Recipes. I saw the recipe on their Instagram feed and thought it was a great way to use zucchini.
Passata is sold in tall bottles rather than in tins. It is an uncooked tomato puree devoid of any additives – just 100% tomatoes. Some have citric acid added but I avoid those brands. It is very smooth because the tomato skins and seeds have been strained away.
A prepackaged Dried Italian Herbs mix can be substituted with 1 teaspoon in total of your favourite mix of any or all of the following dried herbs – oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil, and sage. Of course, you can add more to suit your taste.
Note that “Italian Herbs” is different from “Italian Seasoning”. You can use it as a substitute however you may have to cut back on the other seasonings – salt, garlic, etc.
Mozzarella Cheese seems to come in many forms. In Italy, I discovered that mozzarella is more soft and white, and traditionally made from buffalo milk; what we call fresh mozzarella or the smaller bocconcini here in Australia. It was definitely not found pre-shredded in a zip lock packet.
For this recipe, I grate the Mozzarella from a firmer more yellow Mozzarella block, ball or “pear” because it:
- Does not have the anti-caking agent that is often added to the pre-shredded mozzarella
- Is often cheaper
- Seems to melt better
- Tastes better