Spaghetti Squash Meal Ideas
Spaghetti squash is always in season during this time of year. It is a vegetable that many of us want to use, but it is hard to find creative ways to use it in recipes. Luckily, today we are sharing our top favorite recipe ideas for you to use with spaghetti squash besides substituting them for spaghetti noodles.
Spaghetti Squash Chicken Lasagna
Lasagna is a tasty meal that is easy to make in bulk. If you have leftover cooked spaghetti squash, this recipe is a great way to use it. You will use many of the same ingredients as you would with a regular lasagna, such as marinara sauce, an egg, ricotta, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese. You will also need about 4 pounds of cooked spaghetti squash, olive oil, onions, garlic, 3 cups of chopped kale, and 2 cups of shredded chicken. Saute the onions and garlic, add the kale and chicken and season it all with salt and pepper. Add this mixture to your normal cheese mix. Layer your lasagna as usual in a 9 by 13 pan, but use half of the spaghetti squash for the first “noodle” layer. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and your nutritious dinner is ready to eat!
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Pancetta and Peas
Here is another great recipe that can use up any leftover cooked spaghetti squash. To make 4 servings, you will need 3 pounds of cooked spaghetti squash, about ¾ cup of diced pancetta, a diced shallot, 1 cup of frozen peas (thawed), 1 ½ cups of heavy cream, ¼ cup of dry white wine, ½ cup of grated parmesan, and fresh parsley and thyme. Cook the pancetta for about 6 minutes, then let it drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Add the shallot and thyme to the pan and stir in the wine until it mostly evaporates. Next, add the heavy cream and season it all with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes and add the peas and parmesan. Let the sauce get to the consistency you want, and take it off the heat. Mix in the spaghetti squash and pancetta to the sauce until heated through and garnish with fresh parsley on top. This creamy dish is straightforward to put together and tastes delicious.
Sausage and White Bean Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
This hearty meal is sure to satisfy you at the end of a long day. Best of all, the spaghetti squash will be cooking as you prepare the stuffing. One spaghetti squash will give you 2 full servings. Start by cutting the squash in half lengthwise and removing the seeds. Put each half flesh side down on a baking sheet after adding a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper on them. Bake the squash at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. While that’s roasting, you can put the stuffing together about halfway through that cooking time. Begin by browning some Italian sausage and crumble it up with a wooden spoon in a pan. Add halved cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh thyme, some red pepper flakes, and thinly sliced garlic to the sausage and cook it for about a minute. Pour in a bit of dry white wine (½ cup) and cook it for about 3 minutes, then add the same amount of heavy cream and bring the whole thing to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and bring the heat down to let it simmer and thicken for 4 minutes. Add a can of drained white beans and a few handfuls of baby spinach and let the spinach wilt for about 1 to 2 minutes. Divide this mixture into each spaghetti squash half after it’s done cooking and has been scraped with a fork to give you the stringy texture. Sprinkle parmesan on top and dig into this flavorful dish.