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Home » Recipes » Pork Recipes

January 21, 2019 · 14 Comments

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Gluten Free Recipes· Italian· Pork Recipes

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A close up of Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash made with sweet Italian sausage, fresh spinach, garlic, and fire roasted tomatoes topped with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

A close up of Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

The last time I tried to make spaghetti squash was several years ago. The recipe didn't turn out quite the way I had anticipated, so I never really tried to make it again until recently when my oldest daughter went food shopping for me and purchased one.

I was in the mood to experiment with some new recipes and came up with this Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash.

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

OMG it was AH-MAZING!!! I don't know why I waited so long to make spaghetti squash again, but it was more than likely due to the fact that the first time I made it I used the microwave to save time and this time I roasted it in the oven.

Yes, the squash does take longer to cook this way, but the "noodles" scraped out of the shell with no issues like I had last time.

A dish of Italian stuffed spaghetti squash

For this recipe, I used sweet Italian sausage, fresh spinach, fire roasted diced tomatoes (my new go to pantry ingredient!), garlic, cream cheese and shredded Mozzarella cheese (I used part skim).

Italian stuffed spaghetti squash in a pan

How do you make spaghetti squash?

Start by cutting your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scraping out the seeds (similar to a pumpkin). Place the squash meaty side down on a baking sheet or oven safe baking dish and cook in a 400 degree F oven.

My squash was a pretty large one (approximately 3 lbs.) so it took about 45 minutes to soften, but check your squash after 35 minutes if it's on the smaller side. The squash is done with the outer skins start to shrivel inward.

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, it's time to make your filling. Heat a little EVOO in a large skillet and brown your sausage. When the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, add the spinach, garlic, and tomatoes and cook until the spinach has wilted. 

Next, add the cream cheese and stir until it has blended in with the sausage mixture. Remove from heat and cover until you're ready to add the squash.

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Using a fork, scrape the squash in long front to back motion creating "spaghetti" and add the vegetable to the sausage mixture. Do this for both halves; then mix the ingredients all together.

Finally, add the mixture back into the two squash halves; then place back onto your baking sheet or in your baking dish. Top with the shredded Mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted. Garnish with chopped basil or parsley and serve hot.

A close up of Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash on a spoon.

This Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash was incredibly tasty and so filling too. If you don't like traditional Italian sausage, try substituting ground or boneless diced chicken or turkey. You can also make it vegetarian by omitting the meat altogether.

This low carb, gluten free recipe serves four and my family loved it so much, they want me to make it again. Like next week again, it was that good. ~Enjoy!

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A close up of Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash on a spoon.

Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash made with sweet Italian sausage, fresh spinach, garlic, and fire roasted tomatoes topped with shredded Mozzarella cheese.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Entree
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 498 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds spaghetti squash
  • ½ pound ground sweet italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach, washed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part skim)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Start by cutting your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scraping out the seeds (similar to a pumpkin). 
    Place the squash meaty side down on a baking sheet or oven safe baking dish and cook in a 400 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes to soften. 
  • While the spaghetti squash is cooking make your filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown your sausage. 
  • When the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, add the spinach, garlic, and tomatoes and cook until the spinach has wilted; then add the cream cheese and stir until it has blended in with the sausage mixture. Remove from heat and cover until you're ready to add the squash.
  • Using a fork, scrape the squash in long front to back motion creating "spaghetti" and add the vegetable to the sausage mixture. Do this for both halves; then mix the ingredients all together. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. 
  • Finally add the mixture back into the two squash halves, top with the shredded Mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted. Garnish with chopped basil or parsley and serve hot. 

Notes

*If your squash is smaller than 3 lbs, check after 35 minutes. The squash is done with the outer skins start to shrivel inward. You can also cook the squash in the microwave by placing it flesh side down on a safe plate with a tablespoon of water; then cook in 3-5 minute increments until the squash is soft enough to scrape out. 
**Spaghetti squash comes in different sizes. If you use one that is smaller than 3 pounds, they filling may be a little loose/watery. If it looks that way while cooking, use a slotted spoon to place back in the shells or in a casserole dish to help remove some of the excess liquid. 
*Nutritional data calculated by MyFitnessPal based on the exact ingredients and brands used in this recipe and may not be 100% accurate. 

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 20gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1139mgPotassium: 668mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 4391IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 372mgIron: 3mg
Keyword squash
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A close up of Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol says

    January 29, 2019 at 9:54 am

    Carrie, I forgot to buy the baby spinach, do you think if I thawed leaf spinach and squeezed dry I could substitute?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      January 29, 2019 at 9:59 am

      Absolutely! I'm sure it will be fine as long as you squeeze out most of the liquid like you said. I hope you enjoy the recipe Carol! I was going to make it again this week myself, but for some reason my store was out of spaghetti squash! ?

      Reply
  2. Jan says

    November 05, 2019 at 5:08 pm

    Can I reheat this or freeze leftovers.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      November 05, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      Absolutely! We've done both, but remove it from the shell before reheating or freezing. Lately, I put the mixture right into a casserole dish before baking. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Kare P says

    May 26, 2021 at 4:19 am

    It’s a camping weekend! Could I put it all together in a foil pan covered with foil and then pop it into the camper fridge to put over the fire or should I totally cook it all and then just reheat it up over the fire? Does it get mushy?

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      May 26, 2021 at 9:57 am

      I would cook it all; then reheat. It's basically cooked already because the cheese melts when you add it to the hot spaghetti squash. I've never tried reheating over a fire so the bottom may stick a bit, but if you stir it while heating, it should be fine. The dish is already quite "mushy".

      Reply
  4. Lizzie Blades says

    August 09, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    Made this tonight was amazing!!! My squash noodles were still a little crispy. But all in all was very good

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      August 10, 2021 at 6:35 am

      I'm so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  5. Sandra L Roth says

    January 25, 2022 at 4:29 am

    Wow! This was AWESOME! We eat spaghetti squash as a vegetable from time to time. While in the grocery store I spotted a squash and decided to try something different. So, I made this recipe for the world's most skeptical eater. My husband is old school and doesn't do chages well. To my shock of a lifetime, he absolutely loved it. He told me to add it to our meal rotation. By the way, I really liked it also. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      January 25, 2022 at 6:32 am

      I'm so glad you liked the recipe Sandra, it's one of our favorites as well and make it often!

      Reply
  6. Joggingproud says

    March 03, 2022 at 2:51 pm

    I made this last night. It was delicious. My wife and I love spaghetti squash and eat it regularly. I especially love making spaghetti squash lasagna. But I wanted to try something new this time and found your recipe. I didn't have Italian Sausage on hand, nor did I have leafy spinach, so what I ended up using was Kielbasa sausage and green pesto. It turned out great. I also added diced onions and Diced green peppers, which didn't hurt a thing. When I got to the last step in the process where you broil the cheese, I almost burned it cause I guess my oven it hotter than most, but I caught it in time and we both eat every last bite. Thanks for the great recipe. I'll definitely be making again.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      March 03, 2022 at 5:58 pm

      I'm glad you enjoyed and made it your own. I bet it gave it a real nice smokey flavor. Thanks for finding us and welcome!

      Reply
  7. Melissa says

    February 23, 2023 at 1:17 pm

    Made this recipe and subbed the tomatoes with chopped roasted red peppers instead. Was the perfect compliment to the sausage. I also used Italian chicken sausage to cut down on the calories a little. Love this one! One of my hubby's favorites as well. Making it again tonight 🙂

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      February 24, 2023 at 8:16 am

      I'm so glad you liked the recipe, it's one of our favorites too!

      Reply

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