Spaghetti Squash Boats
Spaghetti Squash is such a perfect vehicle for other STUFF. It would seem that cauliflower gets all the glory for being the new pizza crust ((yea, no)) and zucchini gets crowned for being the closest thing to spaghetti noodles ((I mean, I personally love zoodles so I’ll talk no shit))
I think the thing I love the most about Spaghetti Squash is that it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not – as previously mentioned above, people like to trick themselves into eating cauliflower crust & acting like they love it because it’s a veggie – newsflash, it aint pizza crust. Stop trying to make cauliflower crust happen, it’s not going to happen. #sofetch
unpopular squash
I honestly haven’t seen too many creative takes on Spaghetti Squash. Its stringy interior makes it damn near impossible to be made into a soup….its taste isn’t much to write home about other than it’s a neutral, fresh flavor….and its peak season is early fall thru winter, but that’s not to say you can’t eat it now!
Truth be told, I enjoy making this meal as simple as it can be. Homemade meatballs are definitely a favorite of mine, but this meal promises to be quick, 1 pot & wonderfully simple. I enjoy using the frozen Turkey meatballs from Trader Joe’s. Healthier with the use of ground turkey, seasoned to perfection, and fully cooked! Those lil babies are perfect for my Spaghetti Squash Boats!
make it your own.
If you aren’t a meatball fan, no problem. I’ve been known to pound out chicken breasts, use some Shake-N-Bake action ((with some extra added spices)) and AirFry them to crispy perfection to make this Spaghetti Squash Boat Chicken Parmigiana style! So tasty either way, you can’t go wrong!
The only unfortunate thing about this recipe is that there’s no shortcuts to roasting the Spaghetti Squash. *womp womp* I promise it will be worth it though & you’ll want to keep this healthy & amazingly tasty recipe on your meal rotation forever!
Jazzing up jars of spaghetti sauce is probably one of my specialties. I love adding fresh herbs, diced onion & canned tomatoes – throwing in some big splashes of red wine is another secret to making any spaghetti sauce sing! This dish is so easy, the sauce at least deserves to be jazzed up – don’t worry, I’ll show you how!
Ingredients
· 1 medium spaghetti squash – split, seeds removed, oiled & roasted
· 1 bag Trader Joe’s brand Turkey Meatballs, 1 LB
· 1 jar, 24 Oz of your favorite spaghetti sauce
· 1 can, 15 Oz diced tomatoes
· 1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
· 2 TBS Tomato Paste
· 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
· Bunch of fresh basil, julienned
· ¼ cup of your favorite, dry red wine
· ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
· ½ cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
· S+P & Garlic Powder, to taste
Instructions, 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the Spaghetti Squash lengthwise, down the middle, carefully.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon & discard.
Oil the inside of the spaghetti squash, season with S+P & Garlic Powder.
Turn the Spaghetti Squash over so the flesh is face-down in the roasting pan.
Roast for 20 minutes & then flip, roast another 20 minutes.
ALLOW TO COOL COMPLETELY. Shit, nobody wants 3rd degree burns from trying to handle a fully roasted spaghetti squash.
Thaw the meatballs on the counter while you make your scrumptious spaghetti sauce.
Dice the onion & garlic – add to a large pan on medium heat and cook until translucent.
Add in the tomato sauce – to get the extra remnants of sauce out of the jar & into your pan, I’ll pour a little extra red wine, give it a shake and then pour into the pan.
Throw in the can of diced tomatoes – there are so many yummy options at the grocery store! I’ve found fire roasted diced tomatoes gives this sauce an extra sweetness. Some cans are even seasoned with basil & oregano – go nuts!
Stir your sauce & allow it to simmer – give it a taste! Some people like the taste of jarred tomato sauce – I mean, if that’s you then we can’t be friends but whatever.
Instructions, 2
Now would be a good time to add whatever extra seasonings your heart desires – extra S+P, garlic powder, the other splash of red wine – definitely sprinkle in the grated parmesan & squeeze in the tomato paste! Those 2 ingredients will transform the hell out of this sauce!
Allow your spaghetti sauce to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or so – everything should smell really fragrant! Give it a taste along the way.
Once you’re satisfied with how your spaghetti sauce tastes, turn the heat down to medium-low & add in your Trader Joe’s Turkey Meatballs – they should be thawed by now and will only need to simmer in the sauce for about 20 minutes.
Turn them over every once in awhile to ensure the sauce is completely bathing them in the goodness – plus it helps to heat them through.
Your spaghetti squash might be roasted by now – please remember to allow it to cool before scooping out the goodness!
Once your spaghetti squash is cooled – take a large fork & rake out the flesh – it should be soft & stringy – this is what we want!
I like to mix my sauce directly into the spaghetti squash boats and stir it around as I go – because when you bake these babies, you want everything to be incorporated as possible – plus it makes the eating process easier!
Scoop & Stir – the sauce will easily coat the spaghetti squash. Once you feel you have enough sauce in each boat, pat down the mixture, nestle in however many meatballs your heart desires & top with the shredded mozzarella!
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes to ensure your spaghetti squash boat is heated thoroughly and your mozzarella is melted to perfection.
Julienne the fresh basil & sprinkle over your Spaghetti Squash boats! Enjoy!
that’s amore.
I’m well aware that spaghetti squash doesn’t exactly scream authentic Italian, just go with it. Although I’ll give myself some credit that I cut a delicious hunk of Italian bread to go with this meal! I love my version of Spaghetti Squash Boats because its all-encompassing of the comfort flavors we all love – with that healthy, hidden veggie element! *wink* As much as I love zoodles & hiding veggies in dishes from my husband – we both genuinely enjoy this meal! The texture of the baked Spaghetti Squash really clings to the rich sauce and the red wine really ties it all together! Feel free (obviously, you know I don’t give a shit) to switch up the protein – hell, do one better than me & make your meatballs from scratch! Vegetarian-style is also welcome & probably just as delicious. My point is, Spaghetti Squash is a versatile veggie – give it what it deserves & enjoy whatever you come up with!
Thanks for stopping by!
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If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
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