Buffalo Chickpea Zucchini Boats

Recipe courtesy of The Kitchn

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini or elongated summer squash (about 2 pounds total)
• 3 medium scallions
• 3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 (about 15-ounce) can chickpeas
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1 tsp. garlic powder, divided
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
• 1/4 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing

Instructions

1. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut 4 medium zucchini in half lengthwise, no need to trim the ends. Using a small spoon or melon baller, carefully scoop out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell to form zucchini boats (discard the flesh or freeze for smoothies). Wipe off any excess moisture on the zucchini with paper towels and place cut-side up to a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Thinly slice 3 medium scallions, keeping the white and light green parts separate from the dark green parts. Grate 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 3/4 cup). Drain and rinse 1 can chickpeas.
4. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Brush into the wells of the zucchini boats, flip the boats so they’re cut-side down, and brush onto the backs. Bake on the lower rack until the zucchini are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the scallion white and light green parts, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and 1/3 cup hot sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is bubbling and thickened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat.
6. Flip the zucchini cut-side up and immediately sprinkle half the cheese into the boats. Spoon the chickpeas into the boats, packing them in tightly (2 to 3 tablespoons per boat). Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Bake on the upper rack until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the zucchini is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing and top with the scallion greens

Notes

1. Start with small zucchini. Small zucchini are more flavorful and less watery than large ones, which means you don’t have to salt them and wait for them to drain (a common step in many zucchini boat recipes). They’re also easier to hollow out. If you don’t want to waste the flesh — although with small zucchini, it’s really just seeds — you can stir it into oatmeal, or freeze for smoothies.
2. Season them generously. While the filling deserves most of your attention, don’t forget to season your squash! Here, you’ll brush both the wells and the backs with a flavorful mix of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, making sure to get it into every nook and cranny. 
3. Cook until just tender. The best veggie vessels are tender, never soggy. The hollowed-out zucchini only needs a quick five-minute head-start before you add the filling, which guarantees the squash will be perfectly cooked by the time the cheese is melted and bubbly.
4. Protect your boats. Adding half the cheese to the boats before you spoon in the chickpeas creates a barrier between the squash and the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories478, Fat33.2 g (51.1%), Saturated13.5 g (67.3%), Carbs33.0 g (11.0%), Fiber9.4 g (37.7%), Sugars9.5 g, Protein15.7 g (31.3%), Sodium857.2 mg (35.7%)