These stuffed Baked Spaghetti Squash Recipe stuffed with meat sauce is a perfect low-carb dinner and kid friendly recipe too!
Are you looking to cut back on your noodle and carb intake but still craving that same texture and flavor? It’s time to swap out those crazy-high carbs and try something a little more healthy.
Today, I’m sharing this recipe with you for our Tasty Tuesday feature. You can find more delicious recipes from my friends, at the bottom of this post.
The fun of this recipe is that it’s actually not that hard to make. In fact, the cooking part isn’t even the part that most people need help with! The part of this recipe that throws most people for a loop is figuring out the proper way to safely cut spaghetti squash.
Once you successfully halve it and prep it to cook, the rest of the recipe is easy peasy!
More low carb recipes to try
If you’re looking for simple low carb or Keto recipes, you don’t want to miss out on these:
- Low-Carb and Keto Meatballs Made With Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Mediterranean Zucchini Noodle
FAQ spaghetti squash:
Why is spaghetti squash called spaghetti squash?
It definitely has a unique name, but there’s a reason for it. This is because once it’s cooked, it literally comes apart and resembles spaghetti. It’s long and stringy (but tender) and is one of the main foods that people use to replace noodles or other foods that are high in carbs.
What does spaghetti squash taste like?
It’s a tad bit sweet, but not like acorn squash or sweet potato. It becomes very tender once cooked long enough and I find that it doesn’t really have an overly big taste of anything. This is why it’s such a versatile food.
How do you know when the squash is cooked?
If it’s whole, you’ll know it’s done by using a fork or sharp knife and poking it. If it’s tender, it’s done. If you’ve already cut it in half, the easiest way to see if it’s done is to take a fork and scrape at the inside of the squash a bit. If it’s tender and starts to pull away easily, that’s a big indicator that it’s ready to be pulled and served.
Ingredients for Baked Spaghetti Squash Recipe:
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1-pound extra lean ground beef
- 24-ounce jar spaghetti sauce (lowest carb possible)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions for Baked Spaghetti Squash:
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
- Line a large baking sheet with foil. Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to brush the inside of each spaghetti squash half, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Turn the squash halves over, cut side down, onto the baking sheet.
- Roast the spaghetti squash at 375F for 45 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.
- As the spaghetti squash is baking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Crumble the ground beef into the pan and cook until fully browned, then drain off any excess fat.
- Reserve 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce and set aside. Next, add the remaining spaghetti sauce to the ground beef mixture; cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- After the squash is finished baking, carefully turn them over with a spatula and use a fork to fluff up the “spaghetti” in each shell. Add ¼ cup of the spaghetti sauce to each half of the squash and stir into the squash with a fork.
- Sprinkle each squash half with the freshly grated parmesan cheese, then scoop the meat sauce onto each spaghetti squash half, then top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- You will bake the stuffed squash spaghetti bowls at 375F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Cool the squash halves slightly, then serve hot.
Tried this baked spaghetti squash recipe and loved it? Don’t forget to rate the recipe five stars!
More spaghetti recipes
Spaghetti is one of those quick dinner recipes that most families have on their weekly menu rotation. There is so many ways you can cook up spaghetti. We like to change it up a bit. If you have an Instant Pot, you may also like my Instant Pot Recipe or Spaghetti with Italian Sausage. (If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend one!)
Baked Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1-pound extra lean ground beef
- 24-ounce jar spaghetti sauce (lowest carb possible)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
- Line a large baking sheet with foil. Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to brush the inside of each spaghetti squash half, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Turn the squash halves over, cut side down, onto the baking sheet.
- Roast the spaghetti squash at 375F for 45 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.
- As the spaghetti squash is baking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Crumble the ground beef into the pan and cook until fully browned. Drain off any excess fat.
- Reserve 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce and set aside. Add the remaining spaghetti sauce to the ground beef mixture; cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- After the spaghetti squash is finished baking, carefully turn them over with a spatula and use a fork to fluff up the “spaghetti” in each shell. Add ¼ cup of the spaghetti sauce to each half of the squash and stir into the squash with a fork.
- Sprinkle each spaghetti squash half with the freshly grated parmesan cheese. Scoop the meat sauce onto each spaghetti squash half, then top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the stuffed spaghetti squash at 375F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Cool the spaghetti squash halves slightly, then serve hot.
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