Zucchini Boats With Walnut Bolognese Sauce
One of the fastest growing nutrition trends over the past few years is plant-forward eating. But, despite this, 9 out of 10 Americans still aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables. And, moreover, 1/3 of consumers in a recent survey didn’t know what plant-based eating actually means! Let’s dive in.
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium zucchini
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 3 large carrots
- 3 sticks of celery
- 1 cup mushrooms any variety
- ½ large onion
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1 28 oz. can or jar crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the inside of the zucchini.
- Place zucchini skin side down in a large baking dish and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until soft.
- While zucchini is in the oven, finely chop carrots, celery, mushroom and onion.
- Roughly chop walnuts. Set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped veggies and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft and fragrant.
- Add chopped walnuts to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add crushed tomatoes, red wine, herbs, salt and pepper to the pan and stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium and let sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Once sauce is down, spoon the sauce into the baked zucchini. Turn the oven to broil and place bake in the oven for about 2-3 minutes.
- Optional: add cheese on top of sauce in baked zucchini. Broil for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden on top.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.