Roasted Meat and Veggies Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Saucy meat and veggies stuffed into a delicious spaghetti squash for dinner? Yes please! This stuffed spaghetti squash recipe is deceptively easy and oh so delicious. It looks so fabulous and is the perfect healthier comfort food option when you want a giant bowl of spaghetti but don’t want the carbs. You wont even miss the pasta with this delicious recipe…promise!
Inspiration and thoughts
Stuffed spaghetti squash recipe to ring in the new year! This one is so good. You’ve probably had butternut squash, maybe acorn squash, but have you tried spaghetti squash? You must!
This recipe pairs a delicious and creamy meat and veggie sauce with the fabulous spaghetti squash that will have you thinking you’re eating a giant bowl of pasta. I love pasta but don’t have it too often, and this delicious recipe is a great alternative to not just spaghetti, but to any pasta, and is just a great and healthy comfort food this winter!
This recipe was inspired by my absolute love of stuffed squash. If you’ve ever been to my dinner parties (sadly it’s been so long!) you’ve probably had one served to you, they’re my favorite thing to serve and are always impressive and have my guests asking for the recipe. (Check out my Mushroom, Onion and Toasted Couscous Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe!)
I first made an experimental stuffed squash or two for Eli when I first started recipe testing. It was delicious, but definitely needs to be cooked for awhile before you stuff it, which is why one of my biggest tips for spaghetti squash is to make sure to bake it for 45 minutes before you stuff it! This will not only make sure the squash is roasty and deliciously cooked, but it makes the spaghetti strands of the squash the perfect texture and allows them to be easy to scrape out.
The deliciously saucy meat and veggie sauce is so good and creamy and has so many great spices to add to that yummy flavor and mixed in so well with the roasted squash. Generously stuffed and topped with shredded cheese and lots of freshly chopped cilantro, this is the perfect healthier comfort food you need this winter!
Enjoy!
Roasted Meat and Veggies Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 2 spaghetti squash
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 large cloves garlic mined
- 1 brown onion chopped
- 1 6 oz can black olives sliced into pieces
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 1/4 tablespoon + extra spices: salt, pepper, crushed sage, crushed basil, red pepper spice
- 1/2 cup + more shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prep the spaghetti squash
- Preheat the oven to 425 F and prepare a large baking sheet. Poke holes with a fork all over the outside of each spaghetti squash. Microwave the squash for 3-4 minutes then cut each in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Put the squash cut side up onto the baking sheet. Add olive oil to each on and spread it around the squash with a cooking brush or clean hands. Generously sprinkle salt, pepper, basil, sage and red pepper onto the squash too. Pop those in the oven for 45 minutes.
Make the stuffing
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for about one minute, then add the ground beef. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until cooked through. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the tomato sauce and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt, pepper, basil, red pepper and sage. Lastly, add the spinach, mix well, and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Stuff the squash, bake, serve!
- After 45 minutes of roasting, take the squash out of the oven and lower it to 400F. Using two forks, scrape all around the inside of each squash half, allowing the "spaghetti" to loosen and pile inside the squash.
- Generously stuff each squash half with the stuffing, top with shredded cheese, and add back to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve! You can eat it right out of the squash, or pour it all out into a large bowl, mix together, and dig in!
This is my first time trying spaghetti squash and I love it! I’ve never paid attention to it at the grocery store but will start making it regularly as it’s surprisingly delicious and easy. So I just found out from Stacy that it turns into spaghetti on its own by just using a fork and peeling the squash away from the skin. The squash itself with olive oil and salt is so good too. For this recipe, the meat stuffing has so many yummy flavors and after I ate all of the stuffing, the juice from the tomatoes and sauce on the squash was sensational. Thank you, Stacy!
Thank you! I’m so glad you loved it – can’t wait to make it again myself! And I completely agree, just the squash by itself with olive oil and salt is so good! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!