This baked spaghetti squash is comfort food at its best. This dish is packed with spicy Italian sausage, fresh veggies, and gooey Parmesan cheese. It brings all the flavors of your favorite pasta dishes but stays light and low-carb.
Best of all, it's simple to make. Just roast the squash, prepare a quick filling while it bakes, and finish everything with a golden cheese topping. In under an hour, you'll have a delicious dinner that's sure to become a family favorite.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- This Italian-style squash tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep and weekday lunches.
- Baked spaghetti squash is a satisfying, hearty dish that happens to be low-carb and gluten-free. It's perfect for anyone watching their carbs or avoiding gluten.
- While especially cozy during fall when squash is in season, this recipe works year-round.
- The dish is beautiful with minimal effort - just stuff, top with cheese, and broil until golden.
When I first learned how to cook spaghetti squash, I was amazed at how versatile it is. Now, it's one of my favorite fall ingredients. The natural strands of the squash create the perfect nest for yummy Italian sausage and vegetables.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Spaghetti squash - the star of our dish
- Italian sausage - adds rich, savory flavor an protein
- Mushrooms - provide an earthy flavor
- Spinach - fresh or frozen work equally well
- Cherry tomatoes - for brightness and color
- Italian seasoning - enhances the Mediterranean flavors
- Garlic - adds flavor and depth
- Parmesan cheese - creates a golden, melted topping
- Olive oil - for roasting the squash
- Fresh thyme - for garnish
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare your baking sheet. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Place cut-side down and bake for 40 minutes.
- While squash bakes, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in mushrooms and garlic, cooking until mushrooms start to soften.
- Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning, stirring to combine.
- Add spinach in batches, letting each batch wilt before adding more.
- Cook mixture until all vegetables are tender and flavors have combined.
- Remove squash from oven and carefully flip cut-side up.
- Fill each squash half with the sausage mixture.
- Top generously with Parmesan cheese.
- Return to oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
🥫 Storage
Store leftover baked spaghetti squash in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes or microwave until hot.
You can also prepare this dish up to 2 days ahead. Follow all steps except adding the cheese and final baking. Store covered in the refrigerator, then top with cheese and bake until hot and bubbly when ready to serve.
The filling can also be made separately and stored for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, roast the squash fresh, add the filling, and finish with cheese.
📚 Variations
- Meatless Version: Skip the sausage entirely and double up on mushrooms for a hearty vegetarian meal. Portobello mushrooms work especially well here, providing a meaty texture and rich flavor. You can also add plant-based sausage crumbles if you want to maintain that classic Italian taste.
- Different Greens: While spinach is classic, try switching to kale or Swiss chard for a different texture and nutrient profile. Just remember that heartier greens like kale need a few extra minutes of cooking time to become tender.
- Extra Spice: For heat lovers, add red pepper flakes when cooking the sausage mixture or use extra-spicy Italian sausage. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper to customize the heat level exactly to your taste.
- Cheese Options: Try different Italian cheeses! A mix of mozzarella and Parmesan gives you extra stretch. If you want a sharper, saltier flavor, go for Pecorino Romano. For a dairy-free version, nutritional yeast provides a similar savory flavor.
- Fresh Herbs: While Italian seasoning works great, using fresh herbs takes this dish to another level. Try a combination of fresh basil, oregano, and thyme. Add them at the end of cooking to preserve their flavors.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- You can microwave the squash for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut. First, make deep slits where you plan to cut to prevent steam buildup.
- Place squash cut-side down on the baking sheet. This helps it cook evenly and creates tender strands.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper over foil. When done, roll everything up and toss it.
- Test the squash with a fork at 30 minutes. The strands should be tender but still have a slight bite.
- Season both the squash before roasting and the filling while cooking for the best flavor.
- Using fresh thyme instead of dried makes a big difference in taste. Add it at the end to keep the flavor fresh.
🤔 FAQs
Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of your squash. Check it at 30 minutes by piercing with a fork - the squash should be tender but not mushy.
No. You can bake it whole, but it takes longer (about 60 minutes). Cutting it in half reduces cooking time and lets you season the inside before baking.
Cut side down is best. This traps steam and helps cook the squash evenly. Only turn it cut side up when adding the filling.
No. The skin is tough and meant to be a bowl for serving. Just scrape out the strands with a fork and leave the skin behind.
Holes allow steam to escape when cooking the squash whole. This prevents pressure buildup that could cause the squash to burst in the oven.
📗 Related Recipes
Love spaghetti squash? Me too! Be sure to check these out:
- My article on how to make perfectly roasted spaghetti squash al dente,
- Recipe like spaghetti squash all romana with asparagus
- This sauteed shrimp with rosemary tomato spaghetti squash is fantastic!
🍽 What to serve with Italian Baked Spaghetti Squash
I like to serve this hearty dish with a crisp green salad dressed in light basil vinaigrette to balance the rich filling. When my family's extra hungry, I'll add some warm garlic cheesy bread for soaking up any extra sauce.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to successfully make this baked spaghetti squash recipe.
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment paper and foil
- Large skillet
- Sharp knife
- Fork for shredding squash
- Measuring spoons and cups
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Alright, amici (friends), listen up. I'm telling you right now, this is THE recipe you've been looking for your whole life. If you've ever wished for a way to eat your favorite Italian flavors without feeling like you need un pisolino (a nap) afterward, this is it. Roast the spaghetti squash until it's perfectly tender. Then, stuff it with spicy, cheesy goodness that will make you forget about pasta—at least for stasera (tonight)!
And can we talk about how EASY this is? Pop the squash in the oven, sauté up your sausage and mushrooms, stuff everything together, sprinkle with cheese, and BOOM — dinner is served! It's the perfect weeknight meal, meal-prep friendly, and honestly, just the kind of dish that makes you feel good after eating it.
So go on, grab una forchetta (a fork), and dive in! Don't feel guilty. And don't be surprised when you find yourself making this again next week (and the week after that). Buon appetito, amici!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Italian-Baked Spaghetti Squash | A Low-Carb Comfort Classic
Ingredients
Spaghetti squash
- 2 spaghetti squash small-medium size
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 oz spicy Italian sausage crumbled
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning may use Herbs de Provence
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes more if you like it spicy
- 10 oz spinach
- 5 oz cherry tomatoes sliced Same some for placing on top.
- 6 oz Parmesan cheese shredded
- fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
How to roast spaghetti squash
- Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the squash in 2 halves, scrape out the seeds and the fiber out of each half. Repeat with a second squash. (see Note 1.)
- Drizzle olive oil over the cut sides and inside of the squash. Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Place the 4 squash halves on the prepared baking sheet cut side down.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 30 or 40 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven when it's cooked through and soft. You can check the squash by piercing it with a fork—it should be soft.
- While the squash is cooking, make the stuffing.
Prepare the stuffing
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet.
- Add the crumbled sausage and sliced mushrooms and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sausage is cooked. Drain some of the excess fat.
- Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and chopped tomatoes. (Reserve some to place on top of squash halves).
- Add fresh spinach to the sausage mixture in batches and cook until the spinach wilts.
How to stuff spaghetti squash
- When you have roasted the spaghetti squash for 30 or 40 minutes, remove it from the oven. Turn the cooked squash halves cut sides up.
- Let it cool slightly.
- Divide the Italian sausage mixture among the 4 halves and stuff the squash until the mixture is level. Top the halves with sliced cherry tomatoes and the shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Return the stuffed spaghetti squash to the preheated oven and roast at 400 F for 15 more minutes until the cheese mixture melts.
- Top with fresh thyme when serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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