Description
Enjoy a comforting and flavorful Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats recipe that swaps traditional pasta with tender roasted spaghetti squash. This dish features a spicy Italian chicken sausage meat sauce, roasted garlic, creamy cheeses, and fresh herbs baked to golden perfection, making it a low-carb, wholesome alternative to classic lasagna.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Roasted Garlic
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
For the Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 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
For the Spaghetti Squash
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
For the Cheese Mixture
- 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
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
For Serving (Optional)
- Fresh thyme and/or fried sage leaves
Instructions
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Place garlic on foil, drizzle lightly with olive oil, then wrap tightly. Roast for about 20 minutes or until cloves are tender and lightly browned. Let cool, then squeeze garlic cloves out into a bowl and mash with a fork.
- Prepare the Meat Sauce: Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. When shimmering, add ground chicken sausage and brown evenly for 5-8 minutes. Add chopped onion and cook for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low and add crushed tomatoes, 1 cup water, bay leaf, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf and stir in roasted garlic. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Pre-Cook the Spaghetti Squash: Poke holes in the squash with a fork and microwave on a plate for 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and discard.
- Make the Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine milk, ricotta, nutmeg, and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup fontina cheese and 1/2 cup provolone cheese.
- Assemble Lasagna Boats: Place squash halves cut side up in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup fontina cheese at the bottom of each squash cavity. Evenly spoon the meat sauce into the squash cavities. Then spread the milk and cheese mixture over the meat sauce. Top each with remaining 1/2 cup provolone cheese. Cover dish loosely with foil.
- Bake: Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until squash is tender and cheese is golden brown. The dish may appear a bit soupy, which is normal.
- Serve: Let the squash rest for 5 minutes. Using a fork, scrape squash flesh into strands mixing with the meat and cheese filling. Serve topped with fresh thyme and/or fried sage leaves, if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have a microwave, halve the squash and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F for 15 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
- This dish is a great low-carb alternative to traditional lasagna, substituting spaghetti squash for pasta.
- Use spicy Italian chicken sausage for added flavor or substitute with ground chicken for a milder taste.
- Feel free to substitute fontina cheese with mozzarella if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
