Okay, I have tried the old spaghetti squash as pasta trick. I am all about healthy alternatives, and if it is a veggie, I am really on board with it. I have to be honest and say that I have not been the biggest fan of spaghetti squash in the past. It was either to crunchy, too wet and soggy, or too sweet…yes just call me Goldilocks. It just never hit the spot for me.
Since I like to cook one central meal that I eat over the course of week, I was looking for something Italian-y. I had a week of taco soup, then a week of pork fajitas, I wanted a little taste of Italy. Out of this craving was born the Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Marinara Bake. I was nervous that it would be sub par and I would stuck choking it down all week, but I was willing to take the gamble. I am so glad I did! This is delicious!!! I will say that next time I make this, I will probably use 2 spaghetti squash instead of 1 or get a bigger one at least. While this is amazing…I feel like I need more of the veg to keep it from feeling like I simply eating meat marinara at times.
Ingredients
1 or 2 spaghetti squash
1 lb of ground turkey (I typically use 99% lean, but hubs grabbed 93% this week, and it was a treat by tasting closer to beef!)
1 medium onion
1 can of stewed tomatoes (I diced these up smaller before using)
Italian Sesoning (I used Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil seasoning.)
3/4 jar of your fave marinara sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzerella
Cut your spaghetti squash in half. Bake at 350 degrees with the cut side down for 45 to 60 minutes. Brown turkey and onion with Italian seasonings. Throw in a can of stewed tomatoes and heat the mixture. Remove cooked squash from the oven and fork out the squash. Press out excess liquid* and then mix squash with turkey mixture, marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Pour the mixture into a brownie pan and cover with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake on 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
*I was worried about the squash being too watery, so I took the squash that I removed and pressed the water out using a colander and a lid to a pot. I would press out all the liquid, then stir, fluff the squash and repeat pressing liquid out. I did this several times and eliminated a lot of liquid.
Makes 6 servings. **277 calories, 11g of fat, 18 carbs, 24g of protein, 8g of sugar, 641g of sodium per serving.
**This will vary depending on the leanness of the meat you use, and the type of pasta sauce you use.
I also roasted eggplant as a side dish, and as always this is one of my faves!!!
FatChick2FitChick 
I love spagetti squash! Never tried making a one dish meal but will try it. I will probable use lean beef and not turkey. If I want to eat turkey I eat turkey not ground turkey. I wouldn’t of thought about the squash being watery thanks for the tip!
This looks great!! Thanks for sharing!
Anytime!
I love spaghetti squash! This looks super tasty, can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to hear it! Let me know how you like it!
Looks great! I bought a spaghetti squash this weekend and I’m planning to make a mexican bake with it.
Oh yum! We had spaghetti squash with turkey red sauce for dinner last night & thank sweet baby Jesus there’s enough for leftovers for lunch today. mmmmmm!
Bahaaa! That sweet baby Jesus is great for leftover miracles!!!
That sounds really good, I may have to try it. I haven’t been too crazy about spaghetti squash as a straight on substitute for spaghetti noodles, so maybe this will do the trick.
It did for me! Hope you like it!
Thanks for the recipe, it sounds great! I have tried spaghetti squash once at a restaurant and hated it, but yours looks and sounds yummy. Will be adding this to next weeks meal plan.
Awesome! Let me know how you like it!
I made this recipe last night. I think it’s the 1st healthy thing I’ve ever “cooked” except salad. My husband and I both loved it but my 7 & 4 year old not so much (but there’s not much that they do like). Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad to hear you all liked it!!!