Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini.
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!
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 before roasting)
(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.
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.
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!
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini.
Ingredients
- 4 zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons oregano leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
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!
Our Favorite Recipes
Open Faced Rosemary Chicken, Peach, and Bacon Sandwich.
Interesting dish, but I’d rather use the spicy Italian sausage.
Fair enough, but I hope you try this! Thank you Joyce! xTieghan
I love these zucchini for summer! Such delicious flavors!
Thank you so much Laura! xTieghan
I am always looking for new vegetarian recipes, and I am so inspired by these stuffed zucchini! The perfect mix of healthy + comfort food 🙂
Thank you Sarah! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
YUUUUUUUM. Cant wait to try these! Kisses from Norway
I hope you love this Kath! Thank you! xTieghan
I hate fennel seed. Can I use something else because this recipe sounds so delicious!!
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
This was great! Made is last night with my gf.
So sweet! So glad you enjoyed this! xTieghan
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!
I am really glad you like this recipe, Annette! Thank you! xTieghan
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!
Thank you so much Karie! SO happy to hear you both loved this! xTieghan
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:)
Thank you so much! I am really glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
Delicious and summery! Boyfriend approved ?. He’s happy I’m not “making the same recipes all the time”. Thanks!
So glad you both loved this recipe Julia! Thank you so much! xTieghan
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!
Thank you so much Corie! xTieghan
My husband and I loved this! One of our favorite new chickpea recipes!
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan
Looks yummy! How are there 8 halves of zucchini and 6 servings, though? 2 and a bite or so apiece?
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
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.
Thank you so much Annie! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
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!
Thank you so much Lynn! xTieghan
Made this for dinner this evening…such a wonderful dish. Hubby just loved it served it along with a turkey tenderloin rubbed with Smokey paprika. It was such a hit!
Delicious! Thanks for sharing Teddi! X Kelly
My family of 4 rated this recipe a 4 out of 5. Getting a 4.5 from my 13 year old is high praise! We love your recipes, thank you for sharing with us.
Amazing! Thank you Amanda! xTieghan
This was delicious! I didn’t change much, only substituting a white cheddar for the Fontina and sweet paprika for the smoked. Using fresh herbs made it so good. All your recipes are a feast for the eyes and this one was no exception.
Thank you so much Michelle! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Do you think this could be frozen after cooking? I already baked it yesterday but found out I won’t be around to eat the rest.
HI Leanne! I have never frozen this so I can’t say for sure, but I would think it should freeze just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
This was a huge hit with my family and will be put into the regular rotation! Swapped out a couple of different cheeses and herbs with what we had on hand, served with couscous and it was 100% delicious.
Thank you so much Laura! I am so glad you all enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
Delicious!! The entire family loves these. The cheese topping and spicy chick peas were a great combination.
Aw that is awesome! Thank you Katrina! xTieghan
So good!! This has become a weekly staple at our house. It’s adaptable to whatever our current cheese/herb situation is, and it’s always delicious. Not tomato season? Use sun dried! Drawer full of random cheese ends? Use ’em up! No fennel seeds? Use what you like!
Yes!! I am really glad this recipe is easily adaptable for you! I hope you continue to love this and others! Thank you Laura! xTieghan
These sound amazing! I’m going to try making them on my pellet grill to accompany steaks tomorrow for Father’s Day!
Thank you so much Christie! xTieghan
I found this recipe by googling “zucchini and chick peas recipe” but I didn’t have, like, half of the ingredients listed. So I improvised with what I did have and wow! This recipe was a great help for getting my dinner started. Both my husband and I loved it. And now I have a go-to dinner whenever I have more summer squash than I know what to do with!
Love to hear that you could use what you had!! Thank you so much for trying this one, Katie! xTieghan
I haven’t even cooked it yet and I’m giving it 5 stars 😁❤️👍 I search and searched many others and they turned me off. This is the THE recipe I know I will love. Thanks a bunch. Hail to summer and to you ❤️
Haha thank you Lesa! I hope you love this recipe!! xTieghan
Made these tonight. WOW! INCREDIBLE! Thank you
for always being our go-to source for consistently amazing recipes…and always approved by my three year old twins too! 🙂
Aw amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you all! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes, Chelsea! xTieghan
Amazing recipe… tried it last night and hubs loved it…the chickpeas With the fennel seeds needs a special mention as they turned out awesome…
I made the stuffing in small marrows that I had and we managed to finish all that I made. Thanks for the recipe..!!!
Love that!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
Wonderful recipe. I cooked it today at lunch. My fiance loved it, especially with the fresh basil. It was the final touch. I had half a can of sweet corn in the fridge and included it as well. It turned out amazing!
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Daniela! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
THESE ARE SOOOO GOOD! Surprisingly filling too! I’ve made them many times!
Hey Kate,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
So good! My husband inhaled these, and I knew I’d love this recipe! Yum!!!
Hey Stephanie,
Thank you so much for making the recipe. I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
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! 😁
Hey there,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan