Send your taste buds on a flavorful cruise with this delightful dish. Hollowed-out zucchini “boats” are filled with savory couscous that’s studded with bites of Tuscan-spiced chicken sausage. They’re then blanketed in a layer of Monterey Jack and baked to turn things nice and melty. Once they emerge from the oven, the boats are topped with a spoonful of marinated tomatoes and freshly torn Thai basil. Don’t forget to share all that deliciousness with your first mate!
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
1 unit
Zucchini
9 ounce
Italian Chicken Sausage
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
¾ cup
Israeli Couscous
(ContainsWheat)1.5 ounce
Tomato Paste
1 unit
Roma Tomato
½ ounce
Thai Basil
¼ cup
Monterey Jack Cheese
(ContainsMilk)4 teaspoon
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds. Rub all over with a drizzle of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Arrange cut sides down on a baking sheet. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, preferably oven-safe, pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and Tuscan Heat Spice. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned all over, 4-5 minutes (the sausage will finish cooking in the next step).
Stir couscous, tomato paste, and 1½ cups water (2½ cups for 4 servings) into pan until combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until mixture has thickened, couscous is tender, and sausage is cooked through, 6-8 minutes. (TIP: If pan seems dry, add a splash of water.) Season generously with salt and pepper. Turn off heat.
Meanwhile, dice tomato. Pick basil leaves from stems; discard stems and roughly chop leaves. In a small bowl, combine tomato, half the basil, and a large drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir remaining basil into couscous mixture.
Remove zucchini from oven. Flip cut-sides-up, then stuff with as much couscous mixture as will fit. Nestle on top of remaining couscous mixture in pan. (TIP: If pan is not ovenproof, transfer everything to a baking dish at this point.) Sprinkle stuffed zucchini with cheese. Return to top rack until cheese has melted, 1-2 minutes.
Top stuffed zucchini with tomatobasil mixture. Serve straight from the skillet or divide between plates.