Fall Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Boat
October is the most gorgeous month for all the warming fall recipes. There’s so many options to eat fresh and hearty right now. And nothing says fall like every variety of squash. So I wanted to share one of our favorites: spaghetti squash is a crowd pleaser. My kiddo loves pasta and this is a very close second.
I’m going to share one of our favorite recipes for the spaghetti squash boats that we make in a variety of ways. My preference for dinner recipes is around 45 minutes and that includes the clean-up from cooking. And you can definitely meal-prep some of this ahead of time, which is my go-to to make cooking during the week easier.
Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients:
1-2 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 pounds spicy Italian chicken sausage (or 1 pound ground chicken/turkey or half chicken half sausage or a non-meat protein)
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh sage (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon fresh basil ( 2 teaspoons dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes or prepared tomato pasta sauce
1 cup water, if necessary
1 cup shredded dairy or non-dairy mozzarella cheese
fresh sage or basil, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roasting the squash: Slice the squash lengthwise and rub a drizzle of oil all over the cut side of both squash halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the squash is just tender enough to scrape into strands. You want it to be barely tender, it will continue cooking later. Remove from the oven and scrape the squash into strands.
**I have eat spaghetti squash solo with some melted butter on it with salt and pepper and it’s absolutely delicious. Just for those in-a-pinch evenings!
Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.
While the squash bakes, make the sauce. In a large skillet, cook 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and sage and cook, stirring until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Push to the veggies to the side of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the center of the pan and crumble in the chicken sausage and cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Break up the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes or pasta sauce, basil and water if necessary to the skillet. Simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
To assemble the boat: Remove a little of the squash strands. Then place a layer of the meat sauce on top of the remaining strands, then layer the removed squash strands and add another layer of the meat sauce. Lastly, top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350, or until the squash are warm throughout and the cheese is browning. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs!
If you have another great spaghetti squash boat recipes you make and would like to share, comment below.