Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

A super yummy spaghetti squash lasagna boat recipe! Feeds a large group or makes fantastic leftovers. Pin it here.

Think lasagna flavors piled high on a huge bed of spaghetti squash, and you’ve got the right idea of what these spaghetti squash lasagna boats are all about. Is your mouth watering yet?! My husband isn’t a huge pasta guy, much to my dismay, but I thought he’d go for lasagna boats made in spaghetti squash halves! Turns out, I was right :). Today I’m sharing my spaghetti squash lasagna boat recipe!

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats Recipe

This spaghetti squash lasagna boat recipe is easy to make and it’s forgiving: spaghetti squash, spices, pasta sauce, greens, canned tomatoes, cheese and basil! Most of these ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. It makes 8 servings, so it’s great for a crowd or for leftovers.

If you’re part of the Plan Your Plate tribe, this recipe would count as your non-starchy veggie, protein and some fat. To complete the meal you can pair it with some whole grain “cheater garlic bread” (recipe in the PYP guide) and a yummy side of fruit!

How to Prep Spaghetti Squash

If you’ve never prepped spaghetti squash before, it’s not hard but it does require a sharp knife! If your knife is dull, you may get frustrated. This is my favorite knife.

To prep spaghetti squash, rinse it off and then pat dry (you never know what was sitting in your grocery cart when you picked it up!). Slice it lengthwise. Then, I like to use a grapefruit spoon to remove all the seeds and spongy center. If you don’t have a grapefruit spoon, I’d start with using a fork to loosen everything up and then follow it up with a spoon. That’s it! Once you’ve cleaned it out, it’s ready to be cooked. With a sharp knife, this should only take about 5 minutes.

Um… Collard Greens?

It’s okay if you’ve never had collard greens before! This is a great recipe to try them for the first time! I tested this recipe with kale (the top picture is with kale!), collard greens and spinach to see which I liked the best. My preference is collard greens! Spinach got a little wilty with the heat. Kale turned out pretty well (although I always think kale is better massaged first), but I thought the collards had the best flavor and texture in this recipe. If you don’t want to add green veggies, you could skip this, but I think it’s better with (and that’s not just the dietitian in me talking)!

Collard greens pack 2 g of fiber per 1 c serving and are an excellent source of vitamin A.

How to Prep Collard Greens

Collard greens are simple to prep! You just need to rinse them off and then chop! I would leave out the stem once it gets thicker. You can remove the stem completely by turning the collard green upside down and “peeling down” each side of the leaf. When I made this I chopped it with the stem on until it got thick and then peeled my greens. I used four collard green leaves to make 2 cups of loosely packed greens. Collard greens are a mild-tasting green with a sturdy texture.

The Recipe

These delicious spaghetti squash lasagna boats are high in fiber and protein to keep you satisfied and full!

Without further ado, let’s jump to the recipe!

Pin these spaghetti squash lasagna boats here.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian, American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 221 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced (red, yellow or orange bell pepper will all work)
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, well-drained
• 1 c red pasta sauce
• 2 c collard greens, ripped or cut in bite-sized pieces (optional)
• 1/2 c part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 6 basil leaves

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400° F. While oven is preheating, prep the spaghetti squash by chopping in half lengthwise using a very sharp knife and cleaning out the seeds (I like to use a grapefruit spoon to easily do this step).
• After spaghetti squash is cleaned, place halves face-down on a baking sheet (can line baking sheet with foil for easier clean-up). Bake for 40 minutes.
• While spaghetti squash is cooking, add 1 tsp olive oil to a medium to large non-stick sauté pan on medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until fragrant, about 7 minutes. (While onions are cooking is a good time to chop the rest of your veggies, basil and drain the tomatoes).
• Add beef, salt, pepper and dried herbs and cook for about 10 minutes until mostly cooked-through (a little pink is ok at this point). Periodically stir and break up beef into smaller pieces throughout cooking process.
• Drain beef and onion mixture, then return it to the same pan. Add tomatoes, bell pepper and pasta sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes until beef is no longer pink.
• Cover and reduce to medium-low heat until spaghetti squash is finished cooking, about 5 minutes.
• When spaghetti squash is finished baking, remove from oven and safely flip over (use an oven mitt! it will be hot!). Shred into spaghetti squash "noodles" by gently pulling at the strands with a fork. Leave "noodles" in the squash. Season with salt and pepper.
• Start layering. Add ricotta cheese by placing dollops on each spaghetti squash half, then spreading with the back of a spoon. It will get easier as it melts slightly. Top with collard greens (if using), then beef mixture (use a slotted spoon if it seems watery from the tomatoes) and mozzarella cheese. Place back in oven for 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven after 5 minutes. Top with basil. Serve.

Nutrition

Sodium: 559mgSugar: 6gFiber: 3gPotassium: 322mgCholesterol: 44mgCalories: 221kcalMonounsaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 4gFat: 11gProtein: 17gCarbohydrates: 15g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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