Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

I follow a great site called Skinnytaste and that's where I found the idea behind this recipe.  The sausage filling was absolutely delicious and I'm sure it would be good stuffed into anything! I used 2 large zucchini so we had dinner twice - feel free to increase the recipe below to feed more folks.

• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 package Field Roast Italian Sausage, crumbled
• 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella, shredded
• 2 teaspoons vegan Parmesan cheese (homemade, store bought, whatever)

Preheat toaster oven to 400°. (I try to not use my big oven in the summer. So I cooked two zucchini halves for dinner and while we ate I cooked the other two in the same casserole dish.) Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh of the zucchini, leaving 1/4" thick.

Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside. Cook zucchini halves in microwave for about 45 seconds on each side. This helps ensure they will be soft after you cook them.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Add the sausage and cook a few more minutes. 

 Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes.

Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/4 of the cooked sausage/veggie mix, pressing firmly.

Place 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, and place zucchini halves on top.

Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce (or a little more if you wish.)

Top with about 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese.

Add 1 teaspoon of parmesan cheese. 

Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

I served these with White Acre Peas topped with hot chow-chow. Yum Yum!!!