Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Spaghetti Squash – the main ingredient in this baked spaghetti squash dish. The one I used was 3 lbs
- Ground Beef – used to fill the spaghetti squash and the main protein in the dish
- Yellow Onion – added to the tomato-meat sauce for flavor
- Garlic – added to the tomato-meat sauce for flavor
- Italian Seasoning – added to the tomato-meat sauce for flavor
- Can of crushed tomatoes – combined with the meat to make it saucy
- Mozzarella – sprinkled on top of the meat sauce and melted
- Parsley – for garnish
How to make baked spaghetti squash with tomato meat sauce
To make this dish, first score the squash lengthwise. Then, poke a few holes along the score to allow steam to release when microwaving the squash. After, microwave the squash to soften it a bit to make it easier to cut. Scoop out the seeds, brush the inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the squash until tender and allow to cool. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash until it resembles spaghetti. Set the squash aside.
On a skillet, heat the oil and add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook a bit more. Then, add the ground beef, season and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and season with Italian seasoning. Scoop the tomato-meat sauce and put on the spaghetti squash halves. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and bake until the cheese is bubbling. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately!
Tips
- I like to poke a few holes and microwave my spaghetti squash before slicing it in half. This softens the squash a lot and makes it easier to cut. Alternatively, you can just cut the squash in a half without microwaving it if you are able to do it safely.
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- Olive oil for brushing
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs)
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F
- With a knife, carefully score squash lengthwise where you’re going to cut it in half. Poke a few holes along the score.
- Microwave the squash for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Carefully cut the squash in a half. Scoop out the seeds.
- Brush the inside of both halves of the squash with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the two halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roast the squash until tender, about 30 minutes. Allow several minutes to cool.
- Using a fork, scrape the insides to create a spaghetti-like texture. Leave insides in the squash.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef. Season with salt. Cook and mix until cooked through, while breaking the beef into small crumbles, 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer.
- Spread the tomato/beef mixture evenly between the two squash halves.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly between both halves.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I made this but added 2tbl of Tomatoe paste to the meat mixture and a can of kidney beans
Genius! Thank you!
my husband and i are just trying this recipe out now, we have never ever had spaghetti squash in our lives so here is to hoping that this is going to be delicious and we are using spaghetti sauce instead of tomatoes and mixed shredded cheese instead of mozzq thank you for the recipe
You are so welcome Lydia! Take care and Let me know how it goes!
AMAZING!! easy too! Thanks LIZA.
You’re welcome Kerry! Glad you were able to try this recipe. Take care and stay safe!
Thank you for the micro waving tip to soften the skin! I’ve tried cooking spaghetti squash before but found it almost impossible to cut.
this made it so much easier.
I’m having a hard time thinking there are 30g of carbs in this dish.
So do I. Where are all the carbs coming from?
Hi Lee,
Most of the carbs comes from the spaghetti squash. 3 lbs of spaghetti squash has 96 grams of carbs so 1 serving is 24 grams (96 divided by 4) of carbs. The rest comes from the rest of the ingredients.
just made this we love it
Awesome!
First time making a spaghetti squash recipe. This was amazing!!! Instant favorite. Like some of the others, I used ground turkey. I also used reduced fat shredded mozzarella to lighten it up a little more. So delicious! Will be making this again for sure. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome Leslie!
I have made the recipe a few times and it is delicious. My question is can you make ahead a day or two before cooking in the oven?
Hi Susan,
It should be okay to make this dish ahead of time. Do steps 2 to 13 and store in the fridge. When ready to cook, reheat the squash halves in the preheated oven. Remove them from the oven, sprinkle tops with the cheese sand then place back in the oven until cheese melts. Hope this helps!
The squash blew up in the microwave after 4 minutes. what a disaster. The recipe still turned out quite nice.
This is DELICIOUS …….MY HUSBAND AND I LOVED IT 😜🍷🍷thank you
You’re welcome Diane!
You are 😉
Definitely preparing this again…delicious! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef.
How would you serve this for 4? Did you cut each one in half after cooked and stuffed?
Thank you! Can’t wait to make this!!
Hi Julie,
You may cut one piece in half after cooking or you leave it as one piece and share.
I made this tonight and it was so yummy. This was my first time to try spaghetti squash and I was very pleasantly surprised how filling and good it was.
Awesome!
What does it mean when they say score zucchini
Hi, To score the squash, make an indent with your knife along the length around of the squash. This makes it easier to poke holes and to cut it later. I hope that helps!
Just finished making this scrumptious dish, took first bite, YUMMY. I used ground turkey instead of beef, so good
That’s great!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s been a big hit with my family. Even my 10-year old loves it! I like it better than “real” spaghetti. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome Janene!
Made it this evening, baked squash instead of microwave. I used ground turkey, also sauteed a rainbow of peppers and mushrooms with the onions and garlic. My husband loved it. Great recipe, thanks.
You’re welcome!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. The whole family loved it and I’ve already made it twice in one week!
Used ground turkey instead of beef and a sweet basil marinara sauce…..beautiful!
This recipe is amazing ! I’ve Made it many times!! It’s turns out great every time
🙂
What is the % fat of the ground beef used in this?
Hi Brittany,
I used lean ground beef in this recipe.
I made this tonight!! I highly recommend it. It makes a lot. Easily would feed four with a salad.
I absolutely loved this! I will definitely make it again!
I’m curious as to why it’s necessary to microwave? Is it just to make it easier to get the seeds out?
Hi Larence,
I microwave the spaghetti squash so as to make the skin softer and easier to cut in half.
Great idea! Cause it’s hard to cut! I’m doing this the next time I make it.
Does the nutritional information noted above include the mozzarella cheese?
Thank you!
Hi. Yes it does include the mozzarella cheese.
Where does the amount of carbs primarily come from? Would like to cut to reduce. Thanks!
Hi Jeanine,
Based on what I know, the amount of carbs is primarily from the can of crushed tomatoes.Hope this helps!
Hi, it says in the ingredients to have Italian seasoning, when and where do you add that? Thanks.
Oops! Should be added to the meat sauce. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi. If a serving size is 1/4 of a squash, do you just cut the half in half again to serve it up? All the pictures show it as a serving size is half a squash. Sorry if that’s a weird question
Hi Carin! I serve it in the half. I would usually scoop out half of the half onto my plate.
Hey Liza,
As I’m reading the instructions it doesn’t say when you add the spaghetti squash back into the mixture. You’ve scraped it in step 8, but do you cook it with the other veggies, meat and sauce or wait until everything else is cooked and then add it in?
Sounds delish!
Hi Tera,
You scrape the spaghetti squash in step 8 and leave it in the squash. Then, after cooking the meat sauce mixture separately, you add that meat mixture on top of the spaghetti squash halves in step 13. I hope that makes sense! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it!
If using a smaller squash how would I adjust the cook time both in the microwave and the stove?
Hi Laura, It really depends on how much smaller your spaghetti squash is. If I am assuming it’s no smaller than 1.5 to 2 lbs, then I don’t think you should need to adjust the cook time in the microwave or stove. I hope that helps!
What temp should the oven be set to when roasting?
Oops, I forgot to add that step. It should be 400F. Sorry about that!
The serving size says 1, is that one whole squash or half?
Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, That’s actually for 1/4 of the squash.
So just for clarification it is 1/2 of the halved squash?
Yes, that is correct
Hi Liza, I like this healthy version of a spaghetti. The problem is I can not find an oblong shaped squash in Bacolod. The only squah variety available here is the round shape. How can I make this into squash spaghetti? Thank you.
More power to you. God bless!
Hi Rica, Unfortunately, you need to use this specific type of squash (it’s called “Spaghetti Squash”) in order to get the spaghetti-like strands.
You could also use zucchini (courgette) if you have a spiralizer to turn any vegan table into noodles.