Italian Sausage Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

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We are big fans of squash in our house. One stuffed spaghetti squash will fill us up easily. While I typically use a different type of stuffing for my spaghetti squash this time I decided to try something different. 

What I ended up with was a delicious favorite that’s being added to our regular monthly meal plan.

We love pasta but as summer heat is coming in fast and strong this year where we live, pasta can just be too heavy on the stomach. I was really craving the taste of pasta though.

I decided to roast up the spaghetti squash and use some sweet ground italian sausage as the stuffing. What we ended up with was a low carb delicious and filling dinner that didn’t leave us feeling overstuffed.

It was super easy to make too.

Spaghetti Squash Is A Healthy Pasta Alternative

When compared with angel hair pasta spaghetti squash is loads healthier. In a one cup serving, angel hair pasta has 211 calories compared to spaghetti squash that has 42 calories. Angel hair has 43 grams of carbs while spaghetti squash only has 10 grams.

This doesn’t even cover how much more vitamins and antioxidants the spaghetti squash has over pasta. To get more nutritional information on spaghetti squash check out this link here.

If you are looking to start getting more vegetables and more healthy food into your diet, swapping out your pasta with spaghetti squash is a great option. 

With my recipe below you can get all the taste of a typical spaghetti dinner, with all the benefits of a well balanced meal.

How To Roast A Spaghetti Squash

Roasting spaghetti squash isn’t super difficult. The hardest part is cutting the squash in half. I typically have my husband do that part because my wrists are especially weak from years of waitressing and painting.

Place parchment paper on a baking pan or cookie sheet. Stab the inside of the squash with a fork a few times. Drizzle a tablespoon of oil in each half of the spaghetti squash. 

Next you will sprinkle your seasoning inside of the spaghetti squash and rub the oil and seasoning mix over the inside. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the cookie sheet. Roast at 375 F for 45 minutes.

I recommend flipping the spaghetti squash with a hot mat and a spatula in order to save your hands. Simply gently pull at the sides to release the squash strands. This is how you get thin spaghetti like strands. 

Stuffing Options For Spaghetti Squash

Unlike pasta, spaghetti squash pairs more easily with different types of flavors. Buffalo chicken or chickpeas with spinach and an alfredo sauce is amazing in spaghetti squash. It would also work well with sweet potato curry.

Spaghetti squash is a great carb replacement for most casserole dishes. Instead of using rice or noodles, use spaghetti squash instead. It gets those extra antioxidants in your diet and keeps out high carb meals.

Italian Sausage Stuffed In Spaghetti Squash

In our area most processed foods are actually sold out while we have large amounts of fresh foods available. So when I saw all our favorites squashes on sale we decided to go ahead and just buy up as much fresh food as we could to freeze ourselves.

We hadn’t gotten any groceries in about a week and I had planned on using the italian sausage for a pasta dish. That changed when we spiked up to 90F in Pittsburgh and the thought of heavy pasta was just too much.

So I improvised and got a delicious meal. It was also pretty easy to make too.

Ingredients

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 lbs Ground Italian Sausage
• 1 Jar Meat Flavored Spaghetti Sauce
• 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 diced onion

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Cut your spaghetti squash in half and drizzle with oil, about 1 tbsp each side. Sprinkle in your oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Rub down the insides of the spaghetti squash spreading the oil and spices evenly.
3. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
4. In a frying pan cook the ground italian sausage with garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste.
5. When the meat is mostly cooked through, add 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan and the diced onion. Cook until translucent.
6. Add one jar of meat flavored pasta sauce and turn down the heat to low. Cover and let it cook – stirring occasionally – while you wait for the squash to cook.
7. Just before the squash is done, mix about half a handful of mozzarella cheese to the sauce and let it melt. 
8. Pull the squash out and flip it – carefully. I like using these oven mitts and a spatula to flip my squashes after roasting. Scoop sauce into the squash, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes till the cheese is melted and starts to brown.
9. Remove and place the stuffed squash in large bowls or plates and eat directly from the squash. Enjoy.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash With Italian Sausage

You can save any leftover sauce for baked rigatoni or another recipe. I plan on making a baked rigatoni that I can freeze.

I like how the dish is light on the stomach even though it’s filling. It doesn’t leave you feeling bloated which is great on hot days. It’s also a great dish to cure a pasta craving while on a low carb diet. 

Let me know if you tried the dish and liked it in the comments below. Follow me on Pinterest for more like this and pin this to your favorite food boards.

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