Description
A comforting and flavorful Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats recipe featuring tender roasted garlic, spicy Italian chicken sausage, and a rich blend of cheeses baked inside spaghetti squash halves, making for a low-carb, delicious twist on classic lasagna.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 head garlic
Meat Sauce
- 3/4 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage or ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can (28 ounce) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Spaghetti Squash and Cheese Mixture
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese or mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1 cup shredded provolone cheese (divided)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh thyme and/or fried sage leaves
Instructions
- Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle lightly with olive oil, wrap tightly, and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until cloves are lightly browned and tender. Let cool, then squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves into a bowl and mash with a fork.
- Prepare the meat sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over high heat. When shimmering, add the spicy Italian chicken sausage and brown all over for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then add crushed tomatoes, 1 cup water, bay leaf, dried oregano, and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf, then stir in the roasted garlic. Adjust seasonings as needed.
- Prepare the spaghetti squash: Poke a few holes into each squash half with a fork and microwave for 3 minutes to begin softening. Allow to cool slightly, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Mix cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine whole milk, ricotta cheese, grated nutmeg, and fresh chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in 1 cup of the shredded fontina cheese and 1/2 cup of shredded provolone cheese until well combined.
- Assemble the lasagna boats: Place the spaghetti squash halves cut side up in a baking dish. Season the cut sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup fontina cheese evenly on the bottom of each squash cavity. Divide the meat sauce evenly into the squash halves. Spoon the milk-cheese mixture evenly over the meat sauce, then top each with the remaining 1/2 cup provolone cheese. Cover loosely with foil.
- Bake: Bake covered at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered, until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly. The filling will be slightly soupy, which is normal.
- Serve: Let the squash sit for 5 minutes before serving. Use a fork to scrape the squash flesh into strands, mixing it with the meat and cheese filling. Garnish with fresh thyme and/or fried sage leaves, if desired.
Notes
- If you do not have a microwave: Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place cut side down on a baking sheet, and pre-roast for 15 minutes to begin cooking before continuing with the recipe.
- This recipe can be made with ground chicken as a milder alternative to spicy Italian sausage.
- Feel free to substitute cheeses based on preference, such as using mozzarella or fontina alone.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated in the oven to maintain texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (approximately 1 squash half)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
