Looking for that cozy comfort food, but not all of the carbs and calories? Check out this healthier delicious spaghetti squash lasagna option! This recipe uses spaghetti squash instead of pasta, ground turkey instead of beef or sausage, and low-fat cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese. While that sounds like the opposite of lasagna, the cottage cheese and mozzarella mixture combined with the yummy meat sauce is so tasty you won’t be missing lasagna! Truth be told, when I make this recipe it can be a selfish treat to eat something that feels like lasagna but is much healthier. So often times, I will double the amount of the sauce and make pasta on the side to feed the kids their all-time favorite pasta and meat sauce. I love my meal and they love theirs!
Spaghetti Squash Lasagne Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need 1 spaghetti squash, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
For the sauce, the ingredients include 1/2 lb ground turkey, olive oil, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, diced yellow onion, garlic, tomato paste, dried basil, dried oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. *You can also substitute your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce with ground turkey for this sauce.
The cheese layer of this lasagne includes low fat cottage cheese (small curd), part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded parmesan cheese and optional fresh basil leaves for the top.
The How To
First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Then, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and insides, much like removing insides of a pumpkin. Next, brush the inside and the inside edges of the squash with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Baking the Squash
Now, place each side of the squash face down on a baking sheet. You can also line the baking sheet with parchment paper if you prefer. Bake the squash halves face down at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until the squash feels a little tender from the outside and the inside edges are browned. Since it’s cooking facedown, you can check the inside edges by using tongs. Then, remove from the oven and allow them to cool until easy to handle.
Preparing the Stuffing Sauce
While spaghetti squash cooks / cools, brown the turkey in a skillet. Add olive oil and chopped onions.
Chop the mushrooms into small chunks so they will cook down easily into the sauce. Once the onions are half softened, add the mushrooms and cook until soft as well. Add garlic and cook another 1 minute.
Then add tomatoes and tomato paste (or spaghetti sauce), herbs, and spices. Stir and simmer the sauce.
Assembling the Lasagne
Separately in a bowl, combine cottage cheese with grated mozzarella cheese and basil leaves.
Now that the squash has cooled, use a fork to scrape and fluff the insides of spaghetti squash, keeping the shell intact. Scoop half of the spaghetti squash strings out of each side of the shells, and place in a bowl on the side. This will be added back later.
This process is much like layering a normal lasagne, but substituting the pasta with the spaghetti squash. There are just 2 layers as the space inside the squash is limited.
Next add 1/4 of the cheese mixture to each side of the squash, so that you use 1/2 of the cheese mixture in total. Then add 1/4 of the turkey sauce on top of the cheese to both sides of the squash, so that you use 1/2 of the turkey sauce in total. Now add the spaghetti squash that is in the bowl and layer on top of each side, using all of the squash that was set aside. Repeat layers by using the remainder of the cheese mixture layer, then turkey & sauce layer.
Lastly, sprinkle parmesan cheese (and a bit of mozzarella cheese if you want extra cheesiness) over the top, cover with foil, and bake at 400° until it is warmed through (about 25-30 minutes). Uncover and broil for 2-3 minutes until browned on top.
Serving Suggestions for the Spaghetti Squash Lasagne
- Although the homemade one takes a few minutes but it is simple and delicious, you can cut down on the amount of time this takes by substituting your favorite bottle of spaghetti sauce instead of making your own.
- Serve this alone or with a Simple Italian Salad.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
- Olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder
Stuffing Sauce:
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- olive oil
- 1 – 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (Italian seasoned if available)
- 1/2 C chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 small can tomato paste
- 1 T basil
- 1/2 T oregano
- 1 T olive oil
- salt & pepper
- optional – 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Cheese layer:
- 3/4 C lowfat cottage cheese – small curd)
- 1 1/4 C part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (divided 3/4 C for cheese layer, 1/2 C for the top)
- shredded parmesan for top
- Optional – fresh basil leaves for top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F
- Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds
- Brush inside and edges of the inside with olive oil
- Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Place face down on a baking sheet. You can also line the baking sheet with parchment paper if you prefer
- Bake face down at 400° F for 30 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle
- While spaghetti squash cooks / cools, brown the turkey in a skillet. Add olive oil, onion, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until tender
- Add tomatoes and paste (or spaghetti sauce), herbs, and spices
- In a bowl, combine 3/4 C cottage cheese with 3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese and basil leaves
- Fluff inside of spaghetti squash insides with fork, keeping the shell in tact
- Scoop out half of the spaghetti squash out of the shells and place in a bowl on the side
- Add half of the cheese mixture. Top with turkey sauce
- Take the spaghetti squash that is in the bowl and layer on top. Repeat by using the remainder of the cheese mixture layer, then turkey & sauce layer
- Sprinkle remaining 1/2 mozzarella cheese over the top, then the parmesan cheese
- Cover with foil by tenting the foil over the baking dish so the cheese doesn’t stick to the foil
- Bake in oven at 400 until warmed throughout, about 25 – 30 minutes
- Uncover and broil for last 2- 3 minutes to brown the cheese on top
Notes
- Although the homemade one takes a few minutes but it is simple and delicious, you can cut down on the amount of time this takes by substituting your favorite bottle of spaghetti sauce instead of making your own.
- Prep Time: 60
- Cook Time: 25
I have made this several times and it is a ‘keeper’! You don’t feel guilty having ‘seconds’. My ‘vegetable averse’ husband even loves it!
Yes, that’s so great to hear!