Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Updated Nov 20, 2025
Spaghetti squash lasagna that only requires 10 minutes of prep with layers of sauce, cheese, and ground beef stuffed inside the squash.
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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna is one of my favorite Italian meals ever! It’s got all the flavor of lasagna in a low-carb, gluten-free, diet-friendly disposable hot bowl of cheesy goodness! This spaghetti squash lasagna is one of those recipes I make when I’m craving lasagna but don’t want to feel weighed down afterward. It’s simple to throw together, and the leftovers reheat really well for lunches during the week.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Ingredients
- Spaghetti squash: Look for large, firm, spaghetti squash (with minimal bruising).
- Ground meat: I usually go for ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken to stuff your squash.
- Aromatics: You’ll need onion and garlic to round out this lasagna sauce! I prefer yellow onion but white onion will work, too.
- Seasoning: I like to use salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to flavor this spaghetti squash! Fresh basil is best if you have it.
- Crushed tomatoes: I love canned crushed tomatoes for a smooth sauce, but you can sub in diced tomatoes if you’re looking for a chunkier texture.
- Tomato paste: Any small can of pure tomato paste will do!
- Shredded cheese: This is optional, but I love to finish off these spaghetti squash boats with a little shredded mozzarella.
How to Make Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Prepare the Lasagna Sauce
Assemble the Lasagna
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Recipe
Spaghetti squash lasagna baked with layers of sauce, cheese, and roasted squash for a lighter take on classic lasagna that takes 10 minutes to prep.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons Fresh basil
- 2 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and discard. Season with salt and pepper, place cut side down in a baking dish with about 1 inch of water. Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes.
- In a large deep sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook the beef, stirring often and breaking apart as needed, until the beef is lightly browned, 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and garlic; season with oregano and basil and cook until the onion is fragrant and beginning to soften, 5 more minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix to combine, bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
- When spaghetti squash is cool to the touch, use a fork to shred the inside of the squash, which will come out in strands that look like spaghetti.
- To assemble, remove half of the strands from each squash and set aside. Season the squash with salt and pepper, layer some of the lasagna sauce on top of the squash strands. Then add another layer of the strands previously removed, top with more lasagna sauce and finish with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Place the stuffed squash back in the baking dish and broil in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
- Serve as is in the squash, garnished with fresh basil.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Prick the skin of your spaghetti squash with a fork before baking. This will allow the steam to gently escape so that the pressure doesn’t build up.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to eat, warm your squash in the oven or the microwave until heated through.
- Freezing: Wrap your spaghetti squash tightly in plastic and foil once it cools off, and it should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 513kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 938mg, Potassium: 1741mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 1362IU, Vitamin C: 35mg, Calcium: 348mg, Iron: 8mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Cook your squash in the microwave instead of the oven. If you’re looking to avoid the oven (or your oven is over-crowded with other dishes), you can cook this spaghetti squash in the microwave. It should take about 10 minutes, and once it’s fork tender, you can transfer it to a cooling rack for a few minutes.
- Make sure your spaghetti squash is cut-side-down when you bake it. This traps the steam and cooks the squash so that it’s nice and tender.
- Prick the skin of your spaghetti squash with a fork before baking. This will allow the steam to gently escape so that the pressure doesn’t build up.
Serving Ideas
- Pair with a side salad. To balance out this meaty low-carb lasagna dish, I like to make a fresh Greek salad, tomato caprese salad, or chopped salad.
- Serve with bread. Since this “pasta” is carb-free, I like to plate it with garlic cheese bread or homemade dinner rolls to sop up extra sauce.
- Cook some veggies. I love the taste of this spaghetti squash paired with other cooked veggies like roasted cabbage, or green beans with almonds.
FAQs
Why did my spaghetti squash turn out mushy?
Overcooking the squash can result in a mushy texture! It’s important to check the squash periodically as it cooks to make sure it stays a little firm. Start checking at the 35-40 minute mark to avoid overcooking.
How do I know when the spaghetti squash is cooked perfectly?
A perfectly cooked spaghetti squash will have a tender yet still slightly firm texture. You should be able to easily shred the flesh into spaghetti-like strands with a fork. If it’s too hard, it needs more time; if it becomes mushy, it’s overcooked.
Comments
Yumnaโs recipes never disappoint! This is a great way to satisfy a lasagna craving with lower calories. I forgot to buy fresh basil so I just used dried and it was still delish. Makes me want to try more recipes with spaghetti squash
Yay, so happy you loved it! You can find all of my spaghetti squash recipes here, if you’d like to try one of those next!!
Iโm going to try it for dinner tomorrow night
I hope you like it!!
The flavors were great. I had a problem because one of my spaghetti squash turned out to be partly bad. So I had less. I ended up cutting the squash in half. It all ended up a bit too soggy. After I squeezed out the water, the texture was perfect. But I couldn’t do squash “boats.” Instead I greased a deep dish baking pan with ghee and layered the squash and the beef sauce like a traditional lasagna. I added extra cheese on top. Had a fresh basil plant on hand and we ate the whole thing. My kiddo loves fresh chopped basil! And ciliantro, when I have used it in the past! My family really enjoyed, everyone had seconds.
Love this recipe, swapped out minced meat to Italian sausage . So good!
So happy you enjoyed it!
Adding to my dinner rotation! So easy, delicious and healthy. I used ground chicken.
I love that! Thank you so much!
I loved this recipe. I couldnโt have spaghetti squash any other way .
Thank you! So glad you’re enjoying this!
Delicious and healthy! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you, Jodi!
This was amazing! I made my own pasta sauce, but in combination with the squash and parsley, it was really tasty. And easy to make! Thanks for the inspiration ๐คฉ
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