Zucchini Recipe #3 for the season! I cannot get enough! Remember my Chopped Caprese Salad from earlier in the week? This is what I used it for! We lightly grilled hollowed out zucchini planks and then stuffed them with orzo topped with the caprese salad. This recipe is both 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers Friendly. Please see the bottom of the post for instructions!
This side dish looks fancy, but is so easy. The zucchini take seconds to prepare and all you need to do is chop up the tomatoes and cheese and boil the orzo and you are set! I like this side dish because you get your veggie and starch all in one and it pairs so nicely with almost any main course grilled meat. I also love when a side dish can be served warm or cold and this is one of those dishes. You can make it ahead and just serve it at room temperature, which makes this the perfect dish for entertaining.
I love whole wheat orzo in this dish because it is so hearty and stands up to the zucchini. It also makes it healthier and full of fiber. Regular orzo or any small pasta, such as ditalini, would be great too! This dish is the perfect way to showcase some of summer’s best produce and I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!
Grilled Zucchini Stuffed with Caprese Orzo
Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini
4 oz. orzo, cooked
1 recipe Chopped Caprese Salad
salt
cooking spray
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Begin by preparing your zucchini by slicing each in half and then hollowing out the centers using a spoon or melon baller. Spray each zucchini with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium heat on your grill for about 4 minutes for each side, or until both sides are lightly charred.
While those are cooking, mix your cooked orzo with your chopped caprese salad. When zucchini are ready, stuff each middle with about 1/3 cup of your orzo mixture. Drizzle with additional olive oil and vinegar if desired. Garnish with fresh basil. Either serve immediately or set aside for later.
Enjoy!
21 Day Fix Instructions:
Grilled zucchini as instructed above. Stuff your zucchini with the cooked whole wheat orzo using the amount that fits in a yellow container. Top your orzo with tomatoes and the amount of fresh mozzarella that fits in your blue container. Use 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
1 green, 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 tsp.
Weight Watchers Information:
1 zucchini plank with 1/3 cup filling from the original recipe (orzo, tomato, cheese, olive oil and vinegar mixture)= 5 points plus
This looks delicious. Zucchini is one of my favorite summer veggies too.
We get zucchini at our CSA quite often and I am always looking for new ideas for it. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see this one! This looks fantastic! Pinning and stumbling too! If you have a free moment, I would love it if you would come over and link it up with us at Foodie Fridays!
Thanks Michelle!
Looks delicious! I love flexible recipes like this. Thanks for sharing!
I know this says 1 green, but how do you accurately count portions when the zucchini cannot fit in the container? Do you just equate one zucchini boat as 1 green portion?
Hi Kelly…It is hard when they don’t fit, but I did chop up one zucchini to see how much would fit into the green container and I fit an entire “boat” into the container. I think as long as you aren’t buying super big zucchini, portion wise you will be fine. My BeachBody coach also told me not to stress too much about veggie portion size because as long as they are cooked correctly, you can’t truly over eat your veggies!
I used these at my sisters baby shweor, everyone loved them! I also made your orange granita. Both were hits! I also stole a couple and ate them, they were amazing. Thanks for the recipe
These look great! Suggestions for preparing the zucchini boats in the oven as opposed to the grill??
Thank you Dana! I would cook them at 400 degrees on a baking sheet, for about 15 minutes or until you can poke them with a fork and the zucchini is tender!
Great! I am making them tonight!
Please stop back and let me know how it was!!