Italian Stuffed Zucchini (Vegetarian)
Updated Apr 23, 2025, Published May 24, 2021
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These Italian stuffed zucchini are hearty, wholesome, and bursting with summery goodness. With a clever use of the entire squash and a rich, savory filling, it’s the kind of no-fuss recipe that brings comfort to any table. You will love this twice-baked zucchini recipe!
More zucchini recipes: Fried Zucchini Pasta and Oven Roasted Zucchini.
Why you’ll love this family favorite!
These easy stuffed zucchini are my Nonna Laura’s beloved recipe from Sardegna—a true celebration of summer’s bounty. We call them zucchine ripene in Italian, meaning “stuffed zucchini”.
She never let a bit of zucchini go to waste, scooping out the tender insides to mix into a flavorful filling, then stuffing it right back into the zucchini shells. It’s simple, rustic cooking at its best.
This recipe shines with medium to large zucchini—more room for that savory goodness. As summer rolls on and the squash grows bigger, this dish only gets better. It’s a family favorite we’ve cherished for generations—and now it’s yours to enjoy too!
Made With AmorE,
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Zucchini (it helps if they are thick in diameter)
- Onion
- Egg
- Olive oil, more for topping
- Bread crumbs (unflavored), more for topping
- Parmigiano, finely grated, more for topping
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Substitutions and Variations
- Use yellow squash instead of zucchini.
- Add ground meat, cooked rice, or lentils for a heartier version.
- Add grated cheese like Parmigiano or pecorino to the filling for extra flavor.
- Mix in fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or mint for a bright twist.
- Add fresh garlic to taste for an earthy flavor.
How to Make Italian Stuffed Zucchini (Zucchine Ripiene)
With a little tender love and care, you will be glad you spent the extra 10 minutes of prep time to make this delicious Italian zucchini recipe. For this recipe, the zucchini is cooked two ways.
First, the interior is removed and sautéed with onions until perfectly tender. Then, the cooked zucchini mixture is combined with an egg, bread crumbs, and freshly grated parmigiano.
The shells of the zucchini are fried and then stuffed with the zucchini mixture and baked. They are topped with parmigiano and bread crumbs to create the most delicious golden brown topping.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Use medium-large zucchini for easier stuffing and more filling.
- Scoop gently—don’t pierce the skin, or they’ll fall apart while baking.
- Chop the zucchini flesh finely so it blends nicely into the filling.
- Don’t skip the olive oil drizzle before baking—it adds richness and helps with browning.
- Let them rest a few minutes after baking for the flavors to settle.
Serving Suggestions
We love to serve twice-baked zucchini with fresh bread. Try these delicious Italian bread recipes: Focaccia Bread Recipe, Crusty Bread, or Ciabatta Bread. They are also delicious when accompanied by baked chicken breast.
FAQ’s
Yes! Assemble the stuffed zucchini a few hours ahead and refrigerate. Bake just before serving.
They freeze well after baking. Let them cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven
No, the skin helps the zucchini hold its shape while baking—just wash them well.
The zucchini should be tender, and the tops lightly golden. A knife should slide in easily.
More Italian Recipes
- Polpette Con Sugo (Italian meatballs in tomato sauce)
- Pear gorgonzola salad
- Chicken Skillet Creamy Chive Mascarpone Sauce
- Easy Roasted Zucchini and Yellow Squash Recipe
If you like meat-stuffed vegetables, try Best Italian Style Stuffed Peppers. And for more vegetarian recipes, try this Loaded Quiche Recipe!
Looking for more delicious Italian summer recipes? Find ideas here: BEST Italian Inspired Summer Recipes.
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Italian Stuffed Zucchini Recipe (zucchine ripiene)
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini, it helps if they are thick in diameter
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for topping
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, unflavored, more for topping
- 3 tablespoons parmigiano, finely grated, more for topping
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Wash zucchini. Cut ends and discard. Cut zucchini into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces. With a melon cuter or knife carve out the white flesh of the zucchini. Creating a hole still leaving enough at the bottom to hold the filling.
- Save the zucchini shells for later. In a large skillet pan heat 1 tbs olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and interior flesh of the zucchini. Cook 8 minutes until soft and golden brown. Set aside and let cool in pan.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot, add reaming olive oil and heat on high. Fry the zucchini on all sides about 6-8 minutes total. Remove from oil onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Once the zucchini mixture in pan is cooled; add- egg, parmigiano, breadcrumbs, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with a fork until well combined. Drizzle an oven safe baking dish with olive oil. Place the fried zucchini shells in the dish. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini shells until the tops are filled.
- Sprinkle the tops generously with parmigiano and bread crumbs. drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until tops are golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This nutritional information is a result of online calculators. While cucinabyelena.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are estimates. Various factors, including but not limited to the actual brands used, change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
I have a question regarding frying the shells. It had 2 remaining tbs of oil. It says fry in a pot, does this mean deep fried so the inside of the shells gets cooked, or just the outsides using the 2 tbs of oil?
Hi! Yes, just fry all the sides. Enjoy!