This Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe is filled with hearty sausage, melting Gruyère cheese, and fresh spinach. The presentation is fun and almost all of it can be made in advance.
This time of year I make as many recipes with winter squash as I can. Roasted butternut squash and spaghetti squash are favorites in my house.
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash is fun to make and a great way to create a cozy meal that can easily be customized with your favorite ingredients. The squash is inherently gluten-free and can be filled with all sorts of vegetables, cheeses, chicken, and then some.
My stuffed spaghetti squash recipe includes sausage and cheese and it's easy to switch it up to make it a vegetarian or vegan meal.
About Spaghetti Squash
- Spaghetti squash is a winter squash that gets its name from the appearance of its inside flesh once it's cooked. It falls apart into what looks like spaghetti - very thin, noodle-like strands.
- While the “strings” of the spaghetti squash are soft once cooked, they have a bit of a bite to them, a slight crunch — you could say they're al dente, which in referring to pasta, means “to the tooth.”
- Spaghetti squash has a mild flavor that is buttery and nut-like. It's mild enough to take on other flavors, but still stands out because of its texture.
- This yellow squash is subtly sweet but not as sweet as butternut or other orange winter squashes.
- Though quite different, it's a great gluten-free, low-carb alternative to regular pasta.
- Choose a squash that's heavy for its size with smooth skin, and an intact stem.
How to Make it
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and adjust a rack to the center.
* PRO TIP * Before you begin, use a fork to poke holes in a few areas on all sides of the squash. Then microwave it for 2 minutes. This will make it much easier and safer to cut.
- Next, follow this photographic, step-by-step guide for roasting spaghetti squash.
- While the squash is cooking, squeeze the sausages out of their casings, and add them to a large skillet and break them into bite-sized pieces. Sauté until it’s cooked through. Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and cook until the onions are soft and becoming golden, about 10 minutes.
Recipe Tip: If the sausage doesn’t have enough fat to keep it from sticking, add olive oil to the pan.
- Mix in the tomato sauce, spinach and nutmeg. Stir until the spinach has totally wilted. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (The tomato sauce will deglaze the pan.)
- Once the squash is roasted, remove it from the oven, and turn the temperature down to 375° F. Use kitchen tongs to turn the squash over to let it cool for a few minutes. Use a fork to very gently pull the flesh away from the skin. It will naturally come off in strings. Add the squash to a very large mixing bowl and place the now empty squash skins, round sides down, back on the baking sheet.
- Add the spinach-sausage mixture to the large bowl of spaghetti squash, along with about 2¾ cups of the cheese. Mix very well, and season again with salt and pepper.
- Divide the mixture between the 4 squash halves and top each one with a bit of the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Place in the 375° F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to melt the cheese and to be sure everything is heated through.
- You can spoon out the mixture to serve, or cut the entire squash halves into slices. Whatever suits you.
Variations
- Vegetarian version. You can easily make this stuffed spaghetti squash recipe vegetarian too — just leave out the sausage and replace it with more spinach or sautéed mushrooms. Skillet oyster mushrooms would be excellent in this.
- Vegan version. Omit the cheese and sprinkle this tasty crispy quinoa on top.
- Other ingredient ideas. Kale, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and zucchini are all fantastic with the squash.
- Sausage substitutions. Ground turkey and chicken are good choices if you don't want to use sausage.
Making it Ahead
- The spaghetti squash can also be cooked a couple of days in advance. Be sure to use a fork to turn it into the 'spaghetti' before storing it. It should be kept inside the squash 'bowls' in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- You can make the filling the day before. Once it comes to room temperature, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring it back to room temperature before you fill the squash.
- Don't fill the squash bowls, add the cheese or finish cooking until serving time.
Other Must-Try Winter Squash Recipes
- Stuffed Honeynut Squash
- Roasted Butternut Squash Chili
- Pecan-Crusted Acorn Squash
- Spinach Pesto Spaghetti Squash
I hope you love this as much as my family and I do!
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (approximately 3¼-pound) Spaghetti Squash
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- olive oil for the pan
- 4 cups yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ cups tomato purée
- 6 cups spinach, washed and dried, stems removed, roughly chopped
- 3 cups Gruyère cheese, grated, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set the oven. Preheat the oven 400° F and adjust a rack to the center.
- Roast squash. Cut about an inch off of the stem ends of the squash. Place them squash on their bases you’ve just made, and use a large Chef’s knife to slice down the center, vertically. Now scrape out the seeds with a metal spoon. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a baking sheet and place all 4 halves of the squash on top, round side up. Roast in the preheated 400° F oven until they’re very soft, about 40 minutes. Here is an easy guide to follow for this.
- Cook sausage. While the squash is cooking, squeeze the sausages out of their casings, and add them to a large sauté pan and break them into bite-sized pieces. Turn the heat to medium and sauté until it’s cooked through. If the sausage doesn’t have enough fat to keep it from sticking, add olive oil to the pan.
- Sauté onions and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and cook until the onions are soft and becoming golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add tomato and spinach. Mix in the tomato sauce, spinach and nutmeg. Stir until the spinach has totally wilted. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste.)
- Prepare the roasted squash. After 40 minutes, or when all of the squash are quite soft, remove them from the oven, and turn the temperature down to 375°F. Use kitchen tongs to turn the squash over to let it cool for a few minutes. Use a fork to very gently pull the flesh away from the skin. It will naturally come off in strings. Add the squash to a very large mixing bowl and place the now empty squash skins, round sides down, back on the sheet pan.
- Combine all of the ingredients. Add the spinach-sausage mixture to the large bowl of spaghetti squash, along with about 2¾ cups of the cheese. Mix very well, and season again with salt and pepper to taste — if necessary.
- Fill the squash skins and bake. Divide the mixture between the 4 squash halves and top each one with a bit of the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Place in the 375° F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to melt the cheese and to be sure everything is heated through.
- Serve. You can spoon out the mixture to serve, or cut the entire squash halves into slices. Whatever suits you.
Jessica Robinson
Oh boy does this spinach sausage stuffed spaghetti squash look amazing! So yummy and so healthy inspired!
valentina
Thanks so much Jessica. Hope you try it!
Emily
I really need to start cooking with spaghetti squash. This looks delish!
valentina
Emily, I had never cooked with it until a couple of years ago, and now I can't get enough. Thanks!
Lisa Huff
Oh I love spaghetti squash and great timing as I have one sitting on my counter!
valentina
Oh yay! Hope you try the recipe.
Joyce
Sweet, salty, and cheesy all in one?! Looooooove this combination! So easy to make too and it comes in it's little bowl haha 🙂
valentina
Thank you so much! Enjoy! 😀
Helene D'Souza
That reminds me of a dish my mother would make during the week at nights. But she would use zucchini. I would love to try it with squash sometime!
valentina
I hope you give it a try, and that it will remind you of your mom's dish. 🙂
Dannii
I wish that spaghetti squash was easier to get over here in the UK. This looks so healthy and comforting.
Wajeeha
This stuffed spaghetti squash looks so yummy and healthy...I'll be trying this very soon. 🙂
valentina
Hope you do. Thank you!
Claudia Lamascolo
I absolutely love squash can you believe I have never had this type? now that I have a recipe to try it I need to make it asap! thanks
valentina
Oh you must try it. It's tasty and SO different from other squashes. Thanks!
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites
How have I never stuffed a spaghetti squash - I eat it ALL the time! This looks amazing and is definitely going to be the next way I way squash! Yum!!
valentina
I hope you try and love it Lauren. Thanks so much!
Caroline
This looks so incredibly comforting, and a tasty way to serve spaghetti squash.
valentina
Thanks so much, Caroline. 🙂
Rae
Spaghetti squash is like my forgotten stepsister that I forget I purchased, then I see a recipe as good as this one and hope it hasn't gone bad yet. Looks delish!!
valentina
Oh my gosh, I love this comment! 😀 Hope you try it and enjoy! 🙂
Rachael
This was, in a word, squashtastic. I am currently shoveling spoonfuls into my toddler's mouth, who cannot get enough. Yummy!
valentina
So awesome! Thanks so much, Rachael! And wow, when my two were toddlers, they weren't quite adventurous. Bravo to you. Happy you loved it and hope you have a great weekend. 🙂 ~Valentina
Mimi Rippee
I adore spaghetti squash! But I’ve never filled one before? No idea why. So many options for the filling. I love this recipe!
http://www.chefmimiblog.com
Valentina
Thanks so much, Mimi! I'm sure you're come up with something fabulous! 🙂 ~Valentina