Quinoa Primavera Zucchini Boats
A lightened-up, protein-packed version of your favorite spring pasta!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, halved and seeded
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup dairy-free heavy cream I like the Nutpods Original for this
- 1 cup peas
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling the boats
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonaded reserve a few leaves for garnish
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- After halving and scraping the seeds from the zucchini to create the "boats," place them onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle the insides of the boats with parmesan cheese.
- Add 6 cups of salted water to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.
- Add broccoli, and blanch for 3 minutes until bright green. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to an ice bath, and drain all but 2 cups of the water from your saucepan.
- Add 1 cup quinoa to same saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook according to package directions (about 15 minutes).
- While quinoa cooks, add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat (high-sided preferred) and add bell pepper and asparagus. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (1/4 tsp of each).
- Add shallot and garlic to the same saute pan, and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (1/4 tsp of each), and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Add a little more olive oil if pan starts to get dry.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies, stir to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add broth and cream to the saute pan, stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until sauce has thickened.
- Remove pan from heat, add lemon zest and juice, along with parmesan cheese, and stir to combine.
- Fold in the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, peas, blanched broccoli and fresh basil until just combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill zucchini boats with the quinoa veggie mixture, and don't be afraid to pile them high! You can top them with additional parmesan cheese as desired.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil, and serve with a wedge of lemon. Enjoy!
Notes
I used the Nutpods Original dairy-free creamer for this, since I'm trying to limit dairy in my diet. You could totally swap for regular heavy cream! I'd recommend starting with 1/2 cup, tasting the sauce, and adding more as desired for richness. You can always balance out with a little more broth, too!