· by Ari ·
All the flavor and comfort of hearty lasagna in a healthy, gluten-free spaghetti squash dish that will have everyone asking for seconds! Looking for more spaghetti squash recipes? I have lots!
Today Mean Green and I had our first fight. We’ll call it the new stop sign’s fault, but Steve stopped short, I ran into his bike and flew off mine. Luckily I didn’t slide so I just walked away with some bruises, and Mean Green is a tough cookie–she barely got scraped! It was scary, but it had to happen sometime, and I’m glad it happened when the street wasn’t busy (ummm I ended up in the middle of it laying on the ground–traffic could have been a very bad thing), and when my husband was there to pick me back up.
In other exciting and much happier news, I attended and spoke at Blended Conference this weekend! It was a total blast, and I learned a TON! Maureen gave a great presentation on the business of blogging. Christine gave an incredible presentation (literally so.much.information) on Pinterest. Kimberley gave an awesome presentation on building an Instagram community. Nicole and I spoke again on video blogging (to a truly incredible response!), then there were break out discussions, and the day ended with a panel led by Wendy, Nicole, Christine and me on food photography/how to get exposure on sights such as Foodgawker and Tastespotting. I also finally got to meet Stephanie who I’ve known through our blogs and her gooooorgeous food for quite a while now. It was a whirlwind, but I had a really amazing time! Wendy & Wendy did an incredible job putting everything together!
So that was my eventful weekend. After all of that, I just kind of feel like doing absolutely nothing except for lounging on the couch watching Orange is the New Black (just started it, and I, like, REALLY love it!), and eating comfort food. Fall and winter are all about comfort foods for me, and comfort foodalwaysincludes cheese. Duh.
I always thought lasagna was super intimidating, but my bestie and college roommate Heather taught me how to make it, and I used a lightened up version of her recipe for years. It’s simple, easy, great to freeze in bulk and always a hit. I wanted to change it up a little bit, and I was looking for a new way to use my beloved spaghetti squash, so I stuffed it with lasagna filling. Seriously people, I don’t know why I ever bothered with real noodles.
Between the spicy turkey sausage, the bold meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese, and brown and bubbly (yes, it went back in the oven for extra love half way through the shoot) mozzarella cheese, I promise you don’t miss the noodles at all. In fact, I prefer the spaghetti squash texture, and I love getting a huge serving of veggies without having to cook them up as a side dish. You guys will love this new twist on lasagna–all the bold flavors you love while eating comfort food you can feel good about eating!
Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 squash half
Hearty, comforting lasagna in a light, satisfying and veggie-packed dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 20 oz 99% lean ground turkey breast (you can also use the 93-94% or 96% lean ground beef)
- 1/4 lb chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
- 1 lb can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried or finely chopped fresh oregano, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried or finely chopped fresh basil, divided
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Slice spaghetti squash length wise and scrape out the seeds. Rub 1/4 tbsp olive oil into each squash half and season with salt and pepper. Place each spaghetti squash half face down in a large baking dish and bake for 40-60 min. When squash is done, middle will be tender and pull apart easily.
- In a large pan, sautee onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add ground turkey. Season with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until browned. Add sausage, crushed tomato and 1 teaspoon each basil and oregano. When sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer until thickened (about 3-4 minutes).
- Meanwhile, combine ricotta and cottage cheese in a medium bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon each basil and oregano. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper. Lightly mix until combined.
- When spaghetti squash is fully cooked, flip in the baking dish so that it is now skin side down. Evenly divide ricotta mixture between each squash half. Repeat with meat sauce. Top each half with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Turn oven to broil, and cook for an other 2 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbling. This happens very quickly–make sure to watch closely, otherwise it can burn easily. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
The sauce is very forgiving. Add/subtract whatever spices you like to get your desired flavor. I used a spicy (pre-cooked) chicken sausage, but you can use whatever flavor you like.
https://arismenu.com/lasagna-stuffed-spaghetti-squash/