Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce is a great alternative to high-calorie, high-carb traditional spaghetti and meatballs and is Whole30 and Paleo compliant.
We kinda have a thing going with Spaghetti Squash.
Pair Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce? Well, fair to say we are OBSESSED.
With only 42 calories and 10 carbs in a 1-cup serving, spaghetti squash is an undeniable upgrade from traditional pasta. The texture is tender, the flavor is subtle and the nutritional profile can't be beat.
This is exactly how we like to eat veggies: tossed with sautéed garlic and onions, fresh herbs, fire-roasted tomatoes and spicy Italian sausage. This Spaghetti Squash with Meat sauce is a major weeknight meal win for all the hungry people!
Added bonus, it's Whole30 and Paleo compliant. If you follow those diets ... perfect. If not, just know that means it's made with real food, no sugar and healthy ingredients. What's not to love?
This recipe was inspired our Chicken Fried (Cauliflower) Rice. Another sneaky swap, only instead of swapping squash for pasta, we sub out cauliflower for rice. It's DELICIOUS!
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Ingredients
- spaghetti squash
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- onion
- garlic
- ground meat
- fresh basil
- fire roasted diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- dried oregano
- dried thyme
- fresh parsley *** optional
**see recipe card for quantities
Instructions To Prepare Spaghetti Squash
Poke a few holes in the skin of the squash with a fork or knife. Microwave the spaghetti squash for 6 minutes.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. It should slice easily since it was microwaved.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast cut side down at 400 F for 40 minutes.
Once spaghetti squash is roasted and cool enough to touch, use a fork to scrape the strands. Start at the outside and work your way in.
Hint: Allow the spaghetti squash to cool, cut side down. The result is perfectly tender spaghetti squash.
Instructions for Meat Sauce
Heat stove to medium-high. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Add onions. Cook until translucent.
Add ground sausage, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook until sausage is no longer pink, using a wood spoon to break up the sausage.
Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano and basil to the pan. Stir until the tomato paste breaks apart and all ingredients are incorporated.
Allow sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. Top cooked/shredded spaghetti squash with a pile of warm meat sauce and serve immediately.
Hint: Tomato's acidity can vary greatly from brand to brand. If your sauce tastes acidic and you are not following a Whole30 or Paleo diet, you can add a bit of sugar for a more balanced taste. Start with ¼ teaspoon and add more as needed.
Substitutions
Ground sausage - instead of sausage, you can substitute any type of ground protein (chicken, beef, turkey, etc.)
Spaghetti squash - fresh spaghetti squash can be subbed for a store-bought dried variety that is prepared similar to pasta.
Garlic - save time and substitute fresh minced garlic for Dorot Frozen crushed garlic.
Variations
Spicy - add chili flakes in addition to the thyme and oregano.
Kid-friendly - swap out spaghetti squash for regular pasta noodles
Vegetarian/Vegan - make recipe as written without the inclusion of the ground sausage
Storage
Spaghetti Squash: Spaghetti squash can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To freeze, place prepared spaghetti squash in a colander and let it drain overnight before packing into an air tight freezer bag. It will stay fresh for about 6 months.
Meat Sauce: Meat sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, pour cooled sauce into a freezer bag and remove air. Meat sauce will stay fresh in the freezer for about 3 months.
Print📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Squash with Healthy Meat Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce is a great alternative to high-calorie, high-carb traditional spaghetti and meatballs and is Whole30 and Paleo compliant.
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- olive oil
- salt/pepper
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves (or 4 Dorot crushed garlic cubes)
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage (sub for favorite ground meat if desired)
- ½ cup fresh basil, julienned
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 6 TBS tomato paste
- 1 ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp thyme
Instructions
For the Spaghetti Squash:
- Poke a few holes in the skin of the squash using a sharp knife. Microwave the spaghetti squash for 5 minutes.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. It should slice easily since it was microwaved.
- Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Rub olive oil onto the inside of the squash and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast cut-side down at 400 degrees F. for 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Leave squash cut-side down on sheet pan until you are ready to serve the dish. It will continue to steam and soften.
- Once spaghetti squash is cool enough to touch, use a fork to scrape the strands. Start at the outside and work your way in.
For the Meat Sauce:
- Place pan on stove over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Add onions. Cook until translucent.
- Add ground sausage, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook until sausage is mo longer pink, using a wood spoon to break up the sausage.
- Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano and basil to the pan. Stir until the tomato paste breaks apart and all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Allow sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. Top cooked/shredded spaghetti squash with a pile of warm meat sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- Select a spaghetti squash that is small. They are easier to cut and to work with.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Easy Dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories:
- Sugar:
- Sodium:
- Fat:
- Saturated Fat:
- Trans Fat:
- Carbohydrates:
- Fiber:
- Protein:
- Cholesterol:
First, it just tastes better! Secondly, lots of store-bought sauces contain sugar and unnecessary additives. When you make a recipe from scratch you are in control of the quantity and quality of ingredients used.
Spaghetti squash is loaded with nutrients and is much lower in calories and carbs than traditional spaghetti noodles.
MACROS: 1 cup contains 42 calories, 10g carbs, 1g protein, .5g of fat and 2.2g fiber.
Yes. There is no need to adapt the recipe.
Yes. There is no need to adapt the recipe.
Recipes Like Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
Albert Bevia
I could seriously just eat bowls of that meat sauce, it sounds devine, but hey I love squash too! so this is kinda like the perfect match made in heaven! great recipe in everyway 🙂
Bailey Sissom
Thanks Albert! It's one of my favorite things to make right now!
Marge Halkin
I'm cooking the squash 3 hours ahead of time to serve at pot luck.....how do I warm it? My meat sauce I will heat in the pot it's in and spoon over the squash with some parmesan to serve...just the spaghetti squash I'm confused about! Help!
Bailey Sissom
Hi Marge. Sorry I'm seeing this so late. I hope the potluck goes well! I have unfortunately never prepared the squash 3 hours ahead of time for a potluck. That said, I often keep it cooked in my fridge and just reheat in the microwave or oven. If you tried a different method... let us know here in the comments!
Donna
Served this tonight last night for dinner. It was delicious! After the first bite my husband said, “I’m going to try to eat this slow.” That was a little hard because it tasted so good! Thanks for the simple recipe. Was very enjoyable over the spaghetti squash.
Bailey Sissom
So glad to hear this!! Love to hear about it when recipes go well:)
Sandi Jordan
This sauce sounds delicious and I am going to try it. I do buy the largest spaghetti squash in the store and bake them in the oven. I put several slots in the top and place them in pans of water and let them bake. I do two or three at a time, let them cool and scoop out the seeds, then pull out the squash. I usually get about four cups out of a squash or more. I put them into baggies and freeze them for a quick dinner, I pull one out, microwave it, and top it with a topping. My favorite is butter and Parmesan cheese. Last night I had pesto sauce. Thanks for a new recipe to try.
Bailey Sissom
Thank you so much for sharing that! I am definitely going to be giving it a try! I love spaghetti squash and having it pre-frozen would be such a time saver:)
Jay Bee
Easy, quick weeknight dinner and it’s delicious! I’m definitely adding this to my weekly rotation.
Bailey Sissom
Yay! Glad that you loved it!
Robin Wolaner
A bit confused. Why is the recipe for 4X the amount of meat sauce needed? I am trying to figure out if I can just make half as much meat sauce, I hate waste.
Bailey Sissom
Hey Robin! I think my family must use a lot of meat sauce, lol! I do usually have a bit left over, but definitely not 4x what is needed. That said.. it keeps in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and tastes great on top of a sweet potato, with extra pasta or even mixed with veggies. It also wold freeze well!!
R
I just made this and it came out pretty bland. Nothing is particularly bad, just kind of boring. I added a bunch of spices and hoping it will be a little tastier tomorrow for leftovers.
Bailey Sissom
Spaghetti sauce is definitely something that people look for different things in. Since I have kids I try to stay away from super bold flavors. That said.. when I make this for just my husband and myself, I often add extra red pepper flakes and additional Italian seasonings. I hope you were able to enjoy it more the second time around!