Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
- prep time: 30 MINUTES
- cook time: 1 HOUR
- total time: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
serving size: 4-6
Ingredients
- 4-6 small spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head garlic
- 1 pounds spicy italian chicken sausage (or 1 pound ground chicken or half ground chicken half sausage)
- 4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
- 1/2 a sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 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
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons almond meal
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup provolone cheese, shredded
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- fried sage or fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Chop off the top portion of the garlic head to reveal cloves. Peel any excess paper/skin off from the bulb of garlic. Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil on top the garlic cloves and cover with foil. Roast in a baking dish for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Allow to cool and then squeeze garlic out of the paper skin into a small bowl and mash well with a fork, set aside.
At the same time roast 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.
Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F.
While the squash bakes make the sauce. In a large skillet, cook 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the pancetta over medium heat, stirring, until the pancetta is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, 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, basil and 1 cup water to the skillet. Simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Once the sauce has thicken a bit, discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the mashed garlic.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk in a steady stream and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking throughout. Remove from the heat, stir in all of the provolone and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
To assemble the boats, remove a little of the squash strands from each boat. Then place a layer of the meat sauce on top of the remaining strands, then a layer of the cheese sauce, then layer the removed squash strands on top of the cheese and divide the remaining meat sauce among the boats. Lastly, top with the remaining cheese sauce and 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 sage, fried sage or basil. EAT!
SPAGHETTI SQUASH BURRITO BOWLS
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon high heat oil
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (16 ounce) jar of salsa (use your preferred level of spiciness)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large bell pepper or two small, cored and sliced
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 2 cups corn kernels, frozen and defrosted or fresh (optional)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 jalapenos, cored and sliced (optional)
- 6 green onions, sliced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with foil OR fill a 9 x 13” glass baking dish with about an inch of water. If you’re making the full recipe, you’ll have four bowls total (or four halves of squash) so you’ll probably need two separate cookie sheets or baking dishes (or one of each!).
- Wash the spaghetti squash and then slice off the stem at the top. Cut each squash in half lengthwise and then use a spoon to scrap out the seeds and the darker yellow strands that the seeds are attached to.
- Rub a little bit of high heat oil on the inner edges of the squash and then place each half face down on the baking sheet/dish. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size (longer for larger squash). You can test to see if it’s done by scraping the inside with a fork. Strands should come loose as you scrape all the way down to the flesh.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the filling by warming one tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the red onion for a few minutes and then add the peppers and jalapeno. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and cumin and cook to desired softness. I like mine with a little crunch so I only cooked them for about 6-7 minutes.
- When the squash is done cooking, allow it to cool for a few minutes before handling. Turn the oven to broil and then transfer the squash to a surface where you can scrape the inside and begin stuffing.
- Scrape about 3/4 of the inside out onto a dish and then layer the filling inside (black beans and corn, peppers and onion, salsa and cilantro). Top with the spaghetti squash and press down then add another layer of filling. Sprinkle green onion on top and then finish with shredded cheese.
- Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes so that the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, then serve!
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Spaghetti squash boats filled with chicken enchilada inspired filling and topped with plenty of melted cheese!
Ingredients
FOR THE ROASTED SPAGHETTI
- 2 small spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE CHICKEN ENCHILADA STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
- 1/2 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
- 2 cups enchilada sauce (see below)
- 1/2 cup black beans (optional)
- 1/2 cup corn (optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, torn
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
Directions
FOR THE ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
- Brush the inner flesh of the spaghetti squash with oil, season with salt and pepper and roast, skin side up, in a preheated 400F/200C oven until tender, about 30 minutes.
FOR THE CHICKEN ENCHILADA STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
- Mix the chicken, enchilada sauce, beans, corn and cilantro, divide the mixture between the spaghetti squash and top with the cheese.
- Broil in the oven until the cheese has melted and turned a light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 452, Fat 25g (Saturated 9g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 77mg, Sodium 276mg, Carbs 30g (Fiber 6g, Sugars 5g),Protein 26g
Enchilada Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
A quick and easy homemade enchilada sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Puree the onions and garlic along with the chilies and tomatoes in a food processor and return to pan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories 75, Fat 3g (Saturated 0.3g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 21mg, Carbs 10g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 5g), Protein 1g
Spaghetti Squash w/ Kale & Sweet Italian Sausage
Kale and sweet Italian sausage are the perfect match for simple, healthy spaghetti squash. Convert spaghetti squash doubters into believers with this recipe!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: ~1 hour
Ingredients
(serves 4)
- 1 med-large Spaghetti Squash
- 12 oz. sweet Italian sausage (pork, chicken, or turkey)
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 fat clove garlic, minced
- 1 large bunch kale
- big pinch crushed red chiles
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Cut the tip and the tail off of the squash and then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Set both halves, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until tender (the tip of a small, thin-bladed knife should slide in easily). Set aside for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle.
When the squash is getting near the end of its cooking time, set a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the sausage. Cook, stirring as needed to break up, until cooked through and a bit brown. Add shallots and garlic and saute for another minute or two, until soft.
Pull the large, woody stems from the kale, and slice the leaves into thin ribbons. Add to the skillet along with the crushed red chile flakes and cook, stirring until tender and just cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Use a fork to scrape the still warm squash into strands. Arrange on a serving platter.
Scoop the sausage and kale mixture over the top. Grate some Parmesan over the top of everything and serve. And enjoy immensely.