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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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
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.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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
    Wow! This was so much fun. I’ve made it three times already this summer. Great vegetarian meal – who knew chickpeas could taste like little bits of sausage? Great recipe!

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was wonderful! Never would have thought to do the whole fennel/smoked paprika /panko thing with the chickpeas. What a fun surprise it turned out to be. Great summertime veggie dinner (and if you have a convection oven, it doesn’t heat up your house). I did it in two batches but it was so worth it.

    Reply

  3. Looks yummy! How are there 8 halves of zucchini and 6 servings, though? 2 and a bite or so apiece?

    Reply

    1. Hi Allison! Yes, it’s like a zucchini and half…ish per person, depending on the size of the zucchini of course. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Made this with quinoa for dinnner tonight. It was so freaking delicious! This is by far my favorite recipe from you. Highly recommend folks to try making this!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Delicious and summery! Boyfriend approved ?. He’s happy I’m not “making the same recipes all the time”. Thanks!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I tried this yesterday by following the recipe one-to-one and it was really more than I had expected! So tasty, it is the first time I tried fennel in cooking and I loved it. Many thanks for this recipe, I go to discover new one on the page now:)

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Made this tonight after seeing the post on Instagram, and LOVED IT!! Such amazing flavor, my husband (a meat & potato-kind-of-guy) kept saying how great this was! Will definitely be adding this to our favorite recipes rotation! Also, it was VERY easy to make, always a plus! Thank you for posting this—always love your recipes!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Wow! This is really great idea! Definitely will have to try this recipe! I think this recipe can be on regular weekly rotation when zucchini is in season. The possibilities are endless, ie: different seasonings and fillings. Thank you, Tieghan, for sharing this with us!

    Reply

    1. HI there! You can just omit the fennel. No biggie! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. I am always looking for new vegetarian recipes, and I am so inspired by these stuffed zucchini! The perfect mix of healthy + comfort food 🙂

    Reply