In this Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats recipe, roasted spaghetti squash halves are stuffed with an effortless homemade Italian meat sauce, layered with cheeses, then broiled until golden brown. Simple? Yes. Crave-worthy? Definitely.
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats
My absolute favorite spaghetti substitute is spaghetti squash. It has a sweet flavor that compliments heavy sauces such as the sauce in my Spaghetti Squash Alfredo Recipe and it helps cut through the richness of my Meat Lovers Spaghetti Squash Casserole.
Roasting spaghetti squash, as opposed to steaming, brings it to another level. It is nowhere near mushy and yields al dente, pasta-like strands in a shorter amount of time. It's truly the only way to cook spaghetti squash! This is the exact method I use to make my Baked Feta Pasta with cherry tomatoes.
When my kids were little I could feed them spaghetti squash and they would be none the wiser! Those days are gone, unfortunately. That's okay, though, that means more for my meal prep!
What you need
Here's what you need for this low-carb spaghetti squash recipe (the printable recipe card is toward the bottom of this page):
2 spaghetti squash: Spaghetti squash range from 2-4 pounds. Smaller ones will feed 2 people and larger ones could feed 4 depending on someone's appetite. So each person gets their own half, I recommend a small to medium squash.
Seasonings for the squash: Salt and black pepper are a must. Other flavor additions would be red pepper flakes and/or Italian seasoning.
2-4 tablespoons avocado oil: or any oil such as olive oil or canola.
24-36 ounces marinara sauce: I recommend making my Keto Spaghetti sauce for this recipe, but you can also use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce and mix it with cooked ground meat.
1 pound lean ground beef or sweet Italian sausage: Italian sausage in spaghetti sauce is a great way to inject even more flavor into this dish. Other options are ground turkey, spicy Italian sausage, or chicken sausage.
Shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese: The amounts depend on how many people you serve. Each person would require at most ½ cup of cheese (unless you want your spaghetti squash boats extremely cheesy).
Additions to consider: You really can make this stuffed spaghetti squash recipe your own. For added greens, you can wilt fresh spinach into the ground meat. That would be a recipe with lots of veggies! Use cooked chicken breast instead of ground meat for a cheesy chicken spaghetti bake.
How to make stuffed spaghetti squash boats
Let me show you how to make this keto-friendly spaghetti squash recipe step-by-step.
Roast the spaghetti squash:
- Microwave: My trick to make sure spaghetti squash isn't mushy is to microwave it for 5 minutes (make sure to use a sharp paring knife to stab a large gash in it so it can release steam) so it is easier to cut.
- Get ready for roasting: Let the squash cool so you can handle it, then use a sharp knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise.
- Scrape out the seeds: Use a spoon to scrape out the center of each squash half, which contains the seeds.
- Season and roast: Coat each half with oil using a brush, season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice, and place flesh side down on a baking sheet. Roast the spaghetti squash at 425F for 25-30 minutes or until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the squash.
Make the sauce:
I highly suggest my keto spaghetti sauce recipe or use 24-36 ounces of your favorite jarred sauce for your spaghetti squash bowls. My sauce recipe uses fresh herbs and whole canned tomatoes that are pureed into a tomato sauce for the least amount of carbs (perfect for the keto diet). In place of the ground beef in that recipe, use ground turkey or ground Italian sausage if you prefer.
Stuff the spaghetti squash boats:
- Make the strands of spaghetti squash: Use a fork to scrape the flesh away from the spaghetti squash shells to make spaghetti squash noodles. Taste the noodles for seasoning. It will most likely need more salt.
- Pour the sauce: Ladle a couple of spoonfuls of sauce into each spaghetti squash half, and mix the sauce into the noodles with a fork.
- Top with cheese: Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the spaghetti squash mixture.
- Broil: Place the squash back on the baking sheet and put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Alternatively, you can put them in a large baking dish. Watch carefully so they don't burn!
Frequently asked questions
Why is my baked spaghetti squash watery?
This is likely due to steaming, using a pressure cooker, or boiling the spaghetti squash. Roasting the squash in the oven is the best way to make sure you do not have watery spaghetti squash.
Is spaghetti squash keto friendly?
1 cup of spaghetti squash is only 27 calories and has 6.5 grams of carbs and 1.5 grams of fiber to equal 5 net carbs. This is perfectly reasonable for the keto diet.
How do you keep spaghetti squash from getting soggy?
Soggy spaghetti squash is from overcooking. Make sure to cook your spaghetti squash until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
Pro tip: I think it's a good idea to roast the spaghetti squash ahead of time so you can make the spaghetti squash boats the next day with less effort. This would be a great shortcut for a busy weeknight.
Try these on the side.
- This Keto Italian Chopped Salad would be a great addition as a smaller side salad instead of a full meal salad.
- Keto Garlic Bread
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Garlic and Thyme Roasted Mushrooms
Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats (Keto Friendly Recipe)
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Tip: Hitting your 20–30g protein per meal goal helps you stay full and supports muscle.
Ingredients
- 2 Spaghetti squash (about 2-3 pounds each)
- ¼ cup avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- salt and black pepper, see notes
- Keto Spaghetti Sauce Recipe, see notes
- 1 ⅓ cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
Roast the spaghetti squash
- Pre-heat the oven to 450F. Stab a large gash into the top of each spaghetti squash. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 8 minutes.
- Let the squash cool so you can handle it, then use a sharp knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise.
- Use a spoon to scrape the seeds out of the center of each squash half.
- Coat each half with oil using a brush, season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice, and place flesh side down on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast the spaghetti squash at 425F for 25-30 minutes or until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the squash.
Make the sauce
- I highly suggest my keto spaghetti sauce recipe or use 24-36 ounces of your favorite jarred sauce for your spaghetti squash bowls. In place of the ground beef in that recipe, use ground turkey or ground Italian sausage if you prefer.
Stuff the squash
- Use a fork to scrape the flesh away from the spaghetti squash shells to make spaghetti squash noodles. Taste the noodles for seasoning. They will most likely need more salt.
- Ladle a couple of spoonfuls of sauce into each spaghetti squash half, and mix the sauce into the noodles with a fork.
- Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the spaghetti squash mixture.
- Turn the oven on high-broil and move the top rack to the upper third of the oven. Place the squash back on the baking sheet and put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Alternatively, you can put them in a large baking dish. Watch carefully so they don't burn!
Notes
- Seasoning: Other flavor additions would be red pepper flakes and/or Italian seasoning.
- Storage: Store the spaghetti squash boats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition: To calculate the nutrition I factored in 1 cup of spaghetti squash, 1 serving of my Keto Spaghetti Sauce, ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan.
Jonathan Pridie says
Wonderful Recipe as we have lots of Spaghetti Squash from the garden and also Zucchini now I know what to do with them. Thank you Jennifer, I love your channel.
Lynnette Higgins says
When I remove the squash from the oven, while it is still very warm, I mix 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix in while shredding. No more watery spaghetti squash. No need to add more before browning, the Mozzarella will be enough. Love this recipe!