Italian Stuffed Zucchini

I have posted a couple other stuffed squash or zucchini recipes before. But none of them had couscous in them. We really enjoyed this dish and for some reason I forget how easy couscous is to prepare and how delicious it taste. You should make this before zucchini or yellow squash become unavailable.

• 4 large zucchini (yellow squash would also work), cut in half lengthwise, insides removed
• no-chicken chicken bouillon (for cooking the couscous)
• 1 box Whole Wheat with Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package vegan Italian sausage, crumbled (I pull it apart with my fingers so it more of a crumble)
• 1 can (15 ounce) diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup Diaya mozzarella cheese shreds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Set  aside. In a saucepan, cook couscous according to package directions.

In the meantime, slice zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller scoop out the insides leaving a thin shell. Be careful not to go to close to the skin, you want the zucchini to stand up to being stuffed.  Save the inside part.

In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high. Cook the crumbled sausage and zucchini insides stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup of the cooked couscous, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and Italian seasoning.

Place squash on the baking sheet, cut side up, season with salt and pepper.  Fill zucchini shells with the couscous/sausage mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, until squash is tender.

Sprinkle with some mozzarella and place cook for about 5 more minutes until the cheese melts.

Serve immediately on some of the leftover couscous and enjoy!

* I cooked mine in the toaster oven, it's still too hot some days to turn on the big oven. This is why you only see 2 zucchini (4 pieces) in my casserole. I refrigerated the other zucchini and cooked them a couple of nights later.
** If you have leftover filling you can freeze it for later, start with more squash, or stuff something else.