Make Ahead

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

November 26, 2014
4.6
5 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Lasagna is a traditional Christmas favorite in Italy, and the best thing about lasagna is its flexibility. This recipe uses savory seasonal spaghetti squash as a food shell - it's flavor compliments the cheeses and sauce perfectly. Any meat filling can be used here (or omitted), and this can easily become gluten-free too. Enjoy!

This recipe was created by Avant Garden Decor and can viewed on there website. —Mackenzie Kupfer

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Ingredients
  • 3 small to medium spaghetti squash (about 5 cups cooked) salt and fresh pepper, to taste 1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese 1 tbsp chopped parsley (or basil) 3/4 cup whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3 small to medium spaghetti squash
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or basil)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tsp olive oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 14 oz Italian chicken sausage 14 oz (1/2 can) crushed tomatoes (I prefer Tuttorosso) salt and fresh pepper, to taste 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 14 ounces Italian chicken sausage
  • 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and membrane. Season lightly with salt and black pepper; bake about 1 hour or until tender, cut side down. Allow spaghetti squash to cool 10 minutes before adding filling.
  2. In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 2 tbsp parmesan cheese and parsley.
  3. To make the sauce, heat oil and add onions and garlic; sauté on medium-low for about 3 to 4 minutes, until soft in a large deep sauté pan.
  4. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces until browned and cooked through. When cooked, add the crushed tomatoes and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add the bay leaf and cover, reducing heat to low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, adding in fresh basil at the very end.
  5. When the spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove flesh, which will come out in spaghetti looking strands reserving the shells. Drain the squash on a paper towel to soak up any excess liquid, and then toss with half of the sauce.
  6. Place the spaghetti squash back into the 6 shells and place on a baking sheet.
  7. Top each with remaining sauce, 1 tbsp ricotta cheese mixture, and 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Bake the boats in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes, or until everything is hot, and the cheese is melted.

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2 Reviews

Jay March 20, 2016
This has absolutely awful texture. I should have known given that all the ingredients are soft. The nearly 1 pound of sausage being the only thing that adds something toothsome, I'd skip this and use the ingredients in a lasagna instead.
MarZig February 16, 2016
This was really a great idea. I had to work around the ingredients because I didn't have them all..used ground turkey, added some italian seasonings, was short on parmesan cheese and used jarred spaghetti sauce...but it still came out great! My son who is 11 wants to take it for lunch. Highly recommend and this recipe seems really easy to work around if you are short or missing certain ingredients. My son loved it (and it was made with squash!!!!!!!!)