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Making use of all the summer produce with this Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini. A healthy vegetarian recipe made with crispy spicy chickpeas and tomatoes, all stuffed inside herb-roasted cheesy zucchini. This simple sheet pan recipe doubles as both a healthy dinner and a simple side dish. Either way, you serve it up, it’s going to be a favorite. Perfect for the summer days ahead!

overhead photo of Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini on platter

Summer officially starts on Friday, but I’m already knee-deep in summertime produce. I know it’s early, but I’m overly excited to be working with new ingredients. It feels so good to be super excited about recipes! Cooking as much as I do, I can sometimes get into recipe development ruts towards the end of a season. I get bored with things very quickly, and by the time a season is coming to an end I’m ready to switch things up. To say that I am happy summer is here is an understatement.

My plan for the next three months? Embrace all the summer produce and make sure that each recipe I share has at least one summer fruit or vegetable incorporated into the dish.

Well, excluding the frozen chocolate desserts that I have lined up. Ice cream might not be produce, but it’s certainly a summer staple!

Zucchini and tomatoes on baking sheet before roasting

(zucchini and tomatoes before roasting)

zucchini and tomatoes after roasting on baking sheet

(zucchini and tomatoes after roasting)

Today I have a very summery vegetarian stuffed squash recipe. It’s different, unique, so delicious, and healthy too. It’s also pretty simple to throw together on a weeknight.

The only real downside to this recipe is that you have to turn your oven on. BUT the upside to using your oven is that this entire recipe is made on only two sheet pans. No boiling water, no stove-top, just two sheet pans and some time in the oven.

Meaning more time for you to mix up a Wednesday night cocktail, catch up on Instagram, fold the laundry, play with your dog, sit in the sun…I mean it’s summer, the sky’ s the limit! I love a dinner that cooks in the oven while you chill out.

So nice.

Spicy Chickpeas on baking sheet after roasting

Here is how this works.

Start with the zucchini. You want to scoop out some of the flesh to make room for the cheese and chickpeas. You don’t have to do this step, but it does make stuffing the squash easier. Once you’ve done this, add some tomatoes and herbs to the pan and roast everything together until the squash is tender and the tomatoes are bursting. This literally smells like summer as it roasts.

During that same time, roast the chickpeas on a separate baking sheet. Now, you might be asking why I am telling you to roast the chickpeas on their own baking sheet. Well, we want the chickpeas to be crispy, not soggy, so they need their own pan. Trust me, the extra pan is worth it.

Everything takes about the same amount of time to roast. Once it’s all done, toss the tomatoes and crispy chickpeas together and then stuff them inside the squash, reserving some of the mix for topping.

Add a handful of cheese and then throw the zucchini back into the oven to melt the cheese.

And done. Top with fresh basil for a pop of bright color and flavor. You’ll have the easiest summer dinner…made in under an hour, healthy, and delicious.

overhead close up photo of Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini

I’d go on, but really that’s all you need to know. This one is simple, healthy, a little cheesy, so flavorful, and a great use of summer squash and cherry tomatoes.

Oh and the spicy chickpeas? They taste like vegetarian spicy Italian sausage. They are addicting, so be prepared, you might just want to make extra!

overhead photo of Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini with zucchini cut in half and filling spilling out

If you make this spicy chickpeas and cheese stuffed zucchini, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 421 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
    2. Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves (reserve the flesh), leaving 1/2-inch thick shell on each half.
    2. On a baking sheet, toss the zucchini, the scooped out zucchini flesh, and the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until the zucchini are beginning to char and the tomatoes burst. 
    3. On a separate baking sheet, toss the chickpeas with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel, and a large pinch of salt. Add the Panko, and toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer and transfer to the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crisp.
    5. Remove everything from the oven. Add the roasted zucchini flesh and the tomatoes to the chickpeas and toss to combine. Spoon half of the chickpea/tomato mix into the roasted zucchini halves. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over each zucchini. Return the zucchini to the oven and cook another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
    6. To serve, plate the zucchini and top with the reserved chickpeas and tomatoes. Top with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was an awesome recipe. Stick to these things, use the two cheeses, melon ball out the squash and roast, spices use them! So love your creativity.

    1. Hey Laura,
      Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was a winner!🌞 xx

  2. 5 stars
    This was really nice and flavoursome, the fennel seeds add a lovely subtle flavour. Great way to use up courgette!

    1. Hi Corryn,
      Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad it was enjoyed:)

  3. 5 stars
    This was so amazing! What a great way to incorporate the summer bounty of squash, zucchini, and tomatoes. My husband and mom and myself thoroughly enjoyed this dish,
    Thank you!

    1. Hey Kelly
      Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan

  4. DELICIOUS! I made this with great northern beans because I was out of chickpeas – cooked them in a pan instead of roasting them. SO GOOD! The spices, fennel, and panko mixed with the beans mimicked sausage crumbles in texture and flavor.

    1. Hey Alyssa,
      Happy Wednesday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan

  5. I was looking for some cooking inspiration and stumbled on your site. This recipe looks delicious! I appreciate the approximate calorie info, but do you post the additional nutrition information (protein, carbs, fat)? Thank you.

  6. 5 stars
    Fantastic and so adaptable! I was making this as a simple lunch with fresh picked potatoes. I chose to modify a bit because the potatoes were roasting on the other oven tray. So I cooked in a pan: garlic, zucchini filling, kale, herbs, spices (same as for chickpeas) then at the end tossed in large white beans, feta a small amount of anchovies and then the baked tomatoes and chickpeas. After I filled the zucchini with this mix, I drizzled with finest balsamic- just a touch! Thank you for the inspiration! ?

    1. Hey there,
      Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan