Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats is a fresh take on classic comfort food. Using vegetables in place of pasta, but still maintaining the rich flavors of a traditional lasagna! We’ll top with some fresh parmesan cheese and basil for a meal the whole family will enjoy.
When it comes to a hearty and delicious weeknight dinner that everyone gets excited about, lasagna can’t be beat! My kids have complained a time or two of me not making lasagna enough, and my reply, “it’s too time consuming to make, and heavy to eat.” Instead, I typically prefer my Baked Spaghetti Recipe with Zucchini Noodles or Best Spaghetti Sauce Ever served over spaghetti squash. Lasagna is just not something I typically attempt on a busy weeknight, or even the weekend.
Recently, I set out to change that! This is a lasagna I can actually enjoy. As a nutritionist, I love taking traditional comfort food dishes and adding in vegetables to lighten them up. In this case, using spaghetti squash in place of lasagna noodles is such a great idea! We can enjoy a yummy meat sauce and top with gooey and bubbly cheese. It’s just the kind of comfort food I love!
What you need to make this lightened up and lower carb lasagna
Let’s gather up our easy ingredients:
- Spaghetti squash: we’ll use only two for serving 4 people. You can definitely add another one for more servings!
- avocado oil or olive oil
- large white onion
- Garlic
- Italian Sausage: I love using sausage for spaghetti to give it more of a robust and hearty flavor. You can use ground beef in it’s place, or lighten up with a ground turkey or chicken sausage.
- San Marzano tomatoes: these really are the best canned tomatoes, especially for Italian dishes!
- Italian seasoning: a mixture here for a variety of Italian dry herbs!
- Sea salt
- Tomato paste
- Red wine vinegar: I love the splash of vinegar for a bit of tang in this recipe.
- Ricotta cheese: can also be replaced with cottage cheese or mascarpone
- Milk or half and half
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
How to make perfect spaghetti squash lasagna in the oven
What I love about this recipe is that it is not as time consuming as traditional lasagna!
- We start by making our spaghetti squash by baking in the oven. I typically cut the spaghetti squash vertically, but for these lasagna boats, we’re slicing horizontally for more surface room. You will still get plenty of long and delicious strands of spaghetti squash.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Saute the onion and garlic, then cook the sausage. Add in the tomato, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and sea salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Make a cheesy mixture by stirring together ricotta, milk, and parmesan cheese.
- After the initial 15 minutes of spaghetti squash baking, fluff up the spaghetti squash strands with a fork and begin to assemble. Sprinkle the bottom with parmesan cheese, top with spaghetti sauce, scoop the ricotta cheese mixture on top, sprinkle with parmesan, and cover with foil. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil, and bake another 15 minutes until bubbly and browned!
Storing and Meal Prep
These lasagna boats are fabulous for meal prep. They will store well in the fridge for 3-5 days, just reheat in the oven covered with foil for 20 minutes. You can also freeze for 3 months!
Serving
I love pairing with my Easy House Salad for a complete meal. You can also try my Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic, or 10 Minute Air Fryer Asparagus.
Other healthy and hearty dishes you will love!
- Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Beef Taco and Veggie Skillet
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Pesto Chicken
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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats is a decadent way to enjoy your lasagna in a lower carb way! All the same delicious flavors of traditional lasagna with more vegetables. 1 hour total to get this meal on the table!
Ingredients
- 2 large spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 large white onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano Tomatoes
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup milk or half and half
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil (to serve)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
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Prepare the spaghetti squash Cut off both ends so the spaghetti squash is flat. Then cut horizontally. Scoop out the seeds, drizzle with a little oil, and season with salt and pepper. Lie on a baking sheet cut side down. Roast for 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make your sauce. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat. Add the remaining oil, then toss in the diced onion. Saute for 5-6 minutes, then add the garlic and sausage. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Toss in the Italian seasoning, salt, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and tomato paste. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
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In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, milk, and mozzarella cheese.
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Remove the spaghetti squash after 15 minutes. Once the tomato sauce is ready, transfer the spaghetti squash to a baking dish, cut side up. Fluff up the spaghetti strands with a fork. Sprinkle the bottom with a little parmesan. Now scoop the tomato sauce evenly between the 4 spaghetti squash. Top with a scoop of the ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and return to the oven.
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Cook for about 15 minutes, remove the foil, and cook another 15 minutes until the top is lightly golden. Top with fresh basil and salt to taste. Serve hot!
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