Description
Enjoy classic lasagna flavors without the pasta. These low-carb spaghetti squash lasagna boats use roasted spaghetti squash halves as ‘boats’ filled with savory sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Rub the cut sides with olive oil and place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool slightly.
- While the squash roasts, brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Pour in the marinara sauce, water, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Once the spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to gently scrape the strands from the squash flesh, leaving about 1/2 inch of squash around the edges to maintain the ‘boat’ shape. Place the scraped squash strands into the meat sauce and stir to combine.
- Spoon half of the meat and squash mixture into each spaghetti squash boat.
- Top each boat with dollops of the ricotta mixture.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta.
- Return the stuffed squash boats to the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and a little extra Parmesan if desired. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- For extra flavor, roast the spaghetti squash with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- You can prepare the meat sauce and ricotta mixture ahead of time to save time.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your spice preference.
- Feel free to add other vegetables to the meat sauce, like bell peppers or mushrooms.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 boat
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 1200mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 150mg