When talking to friends, I find most people want to enjoy spaghetti squash but are afraid to make it or actually don’t know how. I have a recipe here for making the squash, but know there are many cooking options and you can find them here.

I used this Paleo Italian Meatball recipe. You can use any meatballs you wish. This recipe doesn’t have any bread, keeping the whole dish very low-carb, healthy, and keto friendly.

The sauce is made with one can of Italian tomatoes, a little garlic and olive oil, keeping it real simple. I opted to add some mozzarella and bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Use Your Favorite Italian Meatballs

Make your own meatballs or use one of these recipes.

• Veal Meatballs Stuffed with Ricotta
• Paleo Meatballs
• Keto Meatballs
• Italian Meatballs in my Spaghetti/Meatballs Recipes

You can also add in ricotta cheese in dollops for extra creaminess.

Spaghetti Squash is actually pretty versatile adapting well to Italian dishes. It will add a little bit of sweet so you will want to make sure you add enough savory flavors and something salty like pecorino Romano cheese.

It’s not hard to make and can be made a day in advance, making weeknight meal preparation easy.

More Spaghetti Squash Recipes

• Spaghetti Squash, Sausage, Mushrooms and Cream
• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
• Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
• Italian Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Ricotta
• Spaghetti Squash Hashbrowns

Kitchen Equipment

• Serving Spoons
• Casserole Dishes of various sizes
• Oxo Box Cheese Grater

Pin This

Print

Spaghetti Squash and Meatball Casserole

Spaghetti Squash with Paleo Meatiballs, Keto Friendly, Low Carb. Paleo, Gluten free.

Course Keto Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 337kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups quick tomato sauce recipe below
• meatballs recipe below
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup pecorino romano or parmesan
• parsley
• red chili flakes
• salt
• pepper

Quick Tomato Sauce

• 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 onion

Easy Paleo Meatballs

• 1 pound Ground Beef (can mix with beef and pork)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 small egg
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese grated
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup parsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Make Spaghetti Squash

• Roast spaghetti squash
• Soften spaghetti squash by microwaving for five minutes.
• Or you can just cut in half, lengthwise.
• Scrape out seeds and stringy parts.
• Put face down in pot. Add water up to about 3 inches.
• Roast for 40 minutes or until softened.

Make Meatballs

• Pour milk over ground beef.
• Season meat with parsley, 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, egg, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Shape into medium sized meatballs. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
• Add to sauce and simmer on low, while you are preparing spaghetti squash.

Tomato Sauce

• Crush tomatoes with hand.
• Heat olive oil.
• Add onion and garlic. Add tomatoes to pot. You may need to add a little bit of water.
• You can choose to smooth out the sauce using a stick blender.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes while squash is baking. Add meatballs as soon as they are ready.

Assemble

• Shred spaghetti squash with a fork.
• Paper towel moisture off of squash.
• Arrange in casserole dish.
• Slice meatballs and arrange in dish.
• Toss with Sauce. You may not use all of the sauce, depending as to how much you have.
• Add mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. or until all cheese is melted.
• Allow to cool about ten minutes. Serve with extra Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Notes

You can use ground beef, loose Italian sausage or a mix of of beef/pork.

Net cabs: 7 with Six Servings

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 2g

The post Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I made this dish on a Wednesday of last week, and then made it all over again. The honest part is that I was never the biggest fan of spaghetti squash. I’ve made recipes with it before, but this one busted to the top of my all time favorite Fall dishes.

Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, sage, thyme, pecorino Romano and a splash of heavy cream come together to bring one of the best Italian comfort dishes of the season and it’s still low-carb!

I talk to you all the time about my favorite Pecorino Romano cheese and why I love it so much. It’s a sheep’s milk cheese that has a salty tang, and can be used interchangeably with Parmesan Cheese.

Spaghetti squash tastes best when it is properly softened. This squash is twice baked and tender.

Each bite delivers a moment of comfort with the flavors of the sausage with the grated cheese, the earthiness of mushrooms and slight sweetness of the squash, all pulled together by heavy cream.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole Roasted and Rebaked

The spaghetti squash is roasted and then rebaked in a casserole. This also happens to be a very pretty dish that makes a beautiful presentation if you decide to put it back into the shell of the squash.

Spaghetti Squash is Easy to Make

I have a whole post here on how to cook spaghetti squash a few different ways.

Spaghetti Squash is only 31 calories per cup and about 5.5 net carbs.

More Spaghetti Squash Recipes

• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
• Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
• Spaghetti Squash Three Cheese Lasagna
• Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns
• Italian Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Ricotta

Print

Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe with Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage and Mushrooms come together with Spaghetti Squash and Heavy Cream for delicious Winter Comfort Food.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Roast Spaghetti Squash

• 1 large Spaghetti Squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• salt and pepper

Squash Filling

• 2 pieces bacon
• 1/2 onion finely diced
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 1 pound Italian Sausage removed from casing
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino Romano Cheese.
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

Roast Spaghetti Squash Instruction

• Microwave spaghetti squash for 3 to 5 minutes, to make it soft enough to cut it.
• Carefully cut in half lengthwise using a towel to hold the squash.
• Scoop out seeds. It’s important to do that now, as they are harder to separate out once baked.
• Brush olive oil or butter over spaghetti squash.
• Put into baking dish open squash side down.
• Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. or until it’s easy to shred squash into tendrils with a fork.

Squash Filling

• While squash is roasting, slice bacon across into small lardons.
• Fry bacon until you have crispy pieces. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
• Keep just enough of the bacon grease to sauté the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes until soft. Once cooked add to dish with the bacon.
• Wipe out grease from pan and cook sausage, removing it from casing.
• Drain sausage on paper towels.
• Remove spaghetti squash and allow to cool.
• Use the fork to shred the squash.
• Mix together sausage, bacon mushroom mixture, squash.
• Add half cheese and heavy cream.

Assemble

• Put into a baking dish or back in reserved squash shells.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle remaining grated cheese and bake for twenty minutes at 400 degrees.

The post Creamy Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe with Italian Sausage appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I posted a picture of this dish on an instagram story (that was not even a great pic) I had several comments requesting the recipe. The good news is that it’s a pretty easy dish, as long as you have some left over bolognese sauce.

I usually make more than ample bolognese because the boys LOVE it, say it’s five stars and now that they eat lunch here several times a week, I have reasons to make it.

Personal Life Update

The twins (the boys you’ve seen my videos when they were little) are now 16 years old. This year they decided to step away from public school and do a hybrid home school program. This means they have two days a week to work in the bakery along with another one of their friends, Addison. All are in same program, and on the same mountain bike team. Their hard work and exercise deserve a real lunch at least twice a week.

Sixteenth Birthday with Friends

If this is your first time here, the twins Marshall and Ryder have been cooking in my kitchen since they were two years old, the same year I launched this blog. They have eaten almost every recipe here and have grown up around food preparation, cooking and baking. You may recognize them from early videos when they were only six years old.

When we go to restaurants, they keep a rating star system, which is a lot of fun, and they are spot on with their critiques. They give this bolognese FIVE STARS! (Although they eat this with pasta).

Bolognese

You can read all about bolognese at any of my several posts. My most recent post will round up all the various bolognese recipes I’ve made, and they are all great. Make anyone of them, but I’ve listed here a simple bolognese recipe. You can make double and freeze the rest if you like.

Spaghetti Squash

I like to use spaghetti squash instead of pasta for bolognese and that led to this delicious Italian casserole with ricotta cheese. Mix it all up, but save some bolognese and dollops of ricotta for the top.

What I Love About Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

This is Italian comfort food without too many carbs. It’s gluten free, keto friendly and delicious. It’s also good left over, makes a great post workout lunch. It’s versatile. You can use any kind of ground meat you desire, and put your own spin on it. You might not want to take the three house to make bolognese sauce (although you should), and you could use a quick stir-fried ground beef with carrot, celery, onion.

More Italian Dishes Using Spaghetti Squash

• Mushroom, Sausage Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Italian Sausage
• Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp, Tomatoes
• How to Make Spaghetti Squash

Pin this

Print

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese with Ricotta

Low Carb Friendly Italian Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Bolognese 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked spaghetti squash (medium sized)
• 3 cups bolognese
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs

Bolognese Sauce

• 2 carrots finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup San Marzano Tomatoes (canned)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Bolognese Sauce

• Saute finely diced carrot, onion, in a tablespoon of butter and oil until softened, in pot. You can cook bolognese in this pot or once all ingredients are added, put in crock pot.
• Crumble ground beef into pan, stirring frequently until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
• Once meat is cooked, add milk. Add nutmeg.
• Once milk in incorporated and cooked down, add wine.
• Cook for ten more minutes to cook alcohol off, then add 1 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes. Mix through.
• Cook in crock pot for three hours or on top of stove. You can add a little water if bolognese gets dry. If you've used fatty meat like chuck, you might want to scoop off the extra oil.
• Make Spaghetti Squash
  
• Mix spaghetti squash with 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Save 1/2 cup to dollop.
• Mix with 2 cups bolognese. Save one cup to add to top.
• Add remaining bolognese and ricotta cheese to over top of casserole.
• Bake until heated through about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
  
• Once out of oven, top with herbs.
• Serve with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.

Notes

Regarding Bolognese, you CAN use your own meatsauce.

The post Spaghetti Squash Bolognese with Ricotta appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Spaghetti Squash can be the start of so many healthy, grain free recipes. I encourage you to master the art of making spaghetti squash. Actually, I’m teasing you. It’s super easy to make. You can make it stove top like I did in this recipe or roast in the oven. 

What are the health benefits of spaghetti squash?

Spaghetti Squash is anti-inflammatory, increases your intake of essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. It’s a filling fiber, low in calories, 42 per cup, low in carbs (8 net carbs per cup) and can take the place of wheat and gluten in a wonderful way.

You can find out how to cook the spaghetti squash here.

Is Spaghetti Squash Keto?

Yes, if you count the carbs. 8 net carbs per cup. 

What kind of Italian sausage do you use?

I am a member and affiliate for ButcherBox.  It’s the best Italian sausage we’ve ever had. We make this casserole and this sausage crusted pizza a few times a month. ButcherBox is a subscription service that delivers vacuum sealed, high quality sourced, meat chicken and seafood to your door at an affordable price. While they offer various curated boxes, I customize ours every month making sure Italian sausage is part of my box. 

What greens work best in this Sweet Italian Sausage Casserole?

I think kale is probably best but spinach works well also. Any green you want to add for color and interest is fine too. I hope you know you can freeze kale and spinach, and always have greens available for these kind of recipes.

Secret Ingredient also my favorite spice 

I love piment d’ espelette and is a go to for spicing up everything from vegetable dishes to seafood. 

What is piment d’espelette? 

Piment d’ espelette,  made from the Espelette pepper, also known as Piment d’Espelette, is a chili pepper cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It is mildly hot, measuring up to 4,000 Scoville Heat Units. It’s sweet, spicy and smoky without overpowering a dish.  I like the way it gives heat to a dish, more nuanced than red chili flakes (which you could also use). 

You could cover this with pecorino cheese as I did or even use mozzarella. You could even dollop ricotta cheese in this casserole. 

I love my Le Creuset Braiser, because it goes from stove top to oven. A cast iron pan would do the same thing.

This is a flexible recipe. You could use turkey sausage if you choose. You could also choose a different meat, even leftover roast chicken, leftover carnitas. 

How to Sauté Mushrooms

I use either white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. I like to slice my own, saute in butter or oil, keeping them separate so they brown a little, instead of steam. That brings out a true mushroom flavor. Mushrooms are a great partner for sausage and for spinach and are a great addition to this recipe. If you hate mushrooms, skip them. It’s that simple. You might choose to add in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes instead. 

This is a an easy dish, very forgiving. Make sure you use enough salt and pepper and a little heat to bring it together. Don’t plan on leftovers. You probably won’t have any. 

More Recipes Using Italian Sausage from Spinach Tiger

Italian Sausage Meals Your Family Will Love

Italian Sausage Frittata with Ricotta

Baked Italian Sausage with Broccoli Rabe

Italian Sausage Crusted Pizza with Peppers

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Print

Low Carb Sweet Italian Sausage with Spaghetti Squash, Spinach, Mushrooms

Italian Sausage, Spaghetti Squash, Mushrooms, Spinach and Pecorino baked in Casserole for a low carb, keto friendly dinner.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Roast Spaghetti Squash

• 1 Cooked Spaghetti Squash Recipe Here
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 1 pound Italian Sausage removed from casing
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino Romano Cheese.
• 2 cups spinach leaves or chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon piment d'esplette or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

• In a frying pan that will also go into oven, break up sausage and cook over medium heat. Drain sausage on paper towels.
• Remove spaghetti squash and allow to cool.
• Use the fork to shred the squash.
• Add more oil to pan if necessary and sauté mushrooms in same pan.
• Add sausage back into pan.
• Mix together sausage, mushroom mixture.
• Shred spaghetti squash and mix with sausage and mushrooms in frying pan you will use for oven.
• Add spinach and mix. No need to cook. It will soften in oven.
• Season with salt, pepper and piment d'esplette.
• Sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. until melted. You could also add mozzarella if desired.

Assemble

Notes

Feel free to use turkey sausage. 

Play around by adding dollops of ricotta cheese and topping with mozzarella before baking. 




The post Low Carb Italian Sausage Recipe with Spaghetti Squash appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Back in the 90’s many Italian restaurants served an angel hair pasta with chopped tomatoes and basil. It was everywhere, and most of the time I thought it was a bit of a bore compared to other pasta dishes and not a great value. However, the other day nostalgia hit and I wanted that dish.

I craved an Italian pasta dish with that little bit of tomato, garlic and basil.  While spaghetti squash is not spaghetti, but shreds like spaghetti, it did the trick and was absolutely delicious.

It was so satisfying, I actually made it twice in one week! I could easily make this a third time and be happy.

This really is that easy dinner you make in mere minutes, once you have cooked the spaghetti squash.

What is Spaghetti Squash?

Spaghetti squash is not spaghetti, but honestly it was an even better replacement and it’s low in carbs at 7 net carbs per cup.

However, it’s not as easy as opening a box of pasta. You will have to cut through a spaghetti squash (the hardest part) and the either roast or make stove top. I wrote about this: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash, here.

Is Spaghetti Squash Keto Friendly?

Spaghetti Squash is a low-carb vegetable. One cup is 5.5. net grams. It’s one of the vegetables acceptable on a ketogenic diet and has a low glycemic index of 20. Use spaghetti squash in place of any pasta dish.

Seven Main Ingredients Make a Perfect Shrimp Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Shrimp, Spaghetti Squash, Diced Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic, Pecorino

This dish couldn’t be any easier to make and once you have your cooked spaghetti squash (which can even be made in advance), it takes about twenty minutes, but tastes flavorful and hearty.

Tomatoes – Both times I used the fresh tomatoes from my one tomato plant on my deck. I didn’t even bother to peel them, but you could blanch in boiling water and take off the skins. An even easier option is to open up a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes.

Olive Oil and Garlic – I always use extra virgin olive oil and heated just enough to saute fresh garlic. Just make sure you don’t go past golden when you add the garlic. If it’s too browned, it will be bitter. Start over. Also, there’s no replacement for fresh garlic in this dish. Garlic powder and garlic salt will not yield the same flavor.

Shrimp – Did you know that unless you live at the water, the freshest shrimp is flash frozen the day it is caught. I used Trader Joe’s frozen, wild, Red Argentinian shrimp. These cook up so tender and plump and are my favorite shrimp for stews and dishes like this.

Basil, Parsley and Thyme – Herbs drive flavor and I used all three of these. Basil is a must, but if you can’t get that, use thyme or fresh oregano.

Spaghetti Squash soaks up all of these flavors and delivers a delicious Italian dish without the carbs. It is also nutrient dense, high in vitamin C and anti-oxidants.

Leftovers – If you have leftovers, lucky you. They will taste even better, heated up.

Play Around – The second time I made this, I added kalamata olives. Loved it.

More Shrimp Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Keto Shrimp Creole with Cauliflower Rice

Keto Shrimp Scampi

Italian Spicy Shrimp with Zoodles 

All Healthy Shrimp Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Spaghetti Squash Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage Mushrooms

Print

Italian Shrimp Spaghetti Squash

Delicious Easy Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword shrimp, spaghetti squash, low carb, keto

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Baking Time for Squash 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 285kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cooked spaghetti squash here
• 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil extra virgin
• 6 roma tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
• 3 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
• 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 8 kalamata olives optional

Instructions

• Cook Spaghetti Squash. Recipe here.
• Defrost shrimp. You can set a bag of frozen in ice cold water for about twenty minutes or sit bag on counter for about one hour. Drain. Place in bowl. Set aside.
• If using fresh tomatoes, cut an x on stem end and blanch for five minutes. Skin will slip off.

  You can, however, skip this part. I did. Or you can use a small can of diced tomatoes.
• If blanching fresh tomatoes to remove skin, chop once cooled.
• Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed pot.
• Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Add chopped or diced tomatoes. Add half of the basil and all of the thyme.
• Once spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, take a fork and shred it into strands.
• Add cooked spaghetti squash. Stir into tomato oil mixture. Add salt, pepper, and red chile flakes. Cook for ten minutes or more on very low. Add more olive oil as needed.

  This is when the squash will absorb the flavors.
• Stir in shrimp. Cook about five minutes more. At this point, you can cover with a lid.

  Shrimp do not take long. Don't over cook.
• Remove the thyme stems. Top with more chopped basil. Season again with salt as needed.
• Serve with grated pecorino or grated parmesan if desired.
• I added in some kalamata olives as an option. Spanish olives would be good too.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g

The post Italian Shrimp Spaghetti Squash Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am not a red sauce person, nor am I a cream sauce person. I generally like my pasta clean and bright with olive oil and few herbs and Italian flavors. But, there are exceptions to this.

Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking is still my go to cookbook and you will find a ton of dishes here as proof. The two pasta sauces that stand out the most for me have always been the tomato onion and butter sauce and the Amatriciana sauce.

I fell in love with L’Amatriciana Sauce in Rome, where it is frequently served.  It’s a quickly made sauce of tomato, red pepper flakes or red chili, and pancetta and it always tastes better than it looks. Marcella Hazan’s tomato butter sauce is legendary. I made it here years ago with gnocchi.

Taking a bit of each recipe and putting my own spin to it with some added cream, I came up with a pot of deliciousness that I could have eaten with a spoon before the pasta was ever added, and I did.

This Easy Spicy Tomato Butter Sauce is Versatile

This sauce is versatile. I recommend making a big batch and freezing it for future meals.  You can eat it without the shrimp, or add vegetables.

Green beans, zucchini, or eggplant would be good choices. Add it to soups, a pot roast or pizza. This is what makes cooking so fun. Make it as spicy as you want or skip the red pepper and keep it mild. It’s the kind of sauce that is good either way.

Spicy Shrimp goes nicely on top of spaghetti squash, a low carb vegetable that shreds into tendrils and is used perfeclty as a pasta replacement.

How to Make Spaghetti Squash

This is not the first time I’ve made hearty, comforting dinners with spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash Three Cheese Lasagna Bake

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from purchases.

Visit my Amazon Shop Cookware Category for what I consider Kitchen Essentials.

Print

Shrimp with Spicy Tomato Butter Sauce

I had Pasta all'Amatriciana in Rome and it was the inspiration for this shrimp and tomato dish.

Cuisine Italian

Keyword shrimp, tomato sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 inch slice pancetta cut into 1”strips (1/2”wide)
• 1 1/2 cups Italian tomatoes diced,drained of juice
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or taste
• 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined
• 1 cooked spaghetti squash Recipe Here
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

• Saute onion in oil and butter on medium until it's pale softened, almost golden. Add pancetta, cooking for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, chili pepper, salt and simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and correct for salt and pepper.
• Add shrimp in tomato sauce, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in heavy cream.
• Serve over spaghetti squash, zoodles or pasta of your choice.

The post Shrimp with Spicy Tomato Onion Butter Sauce appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s not really spaghetti, but it brilliantly roasts into long tendrils,  allowing it to be a healthy or low-carb pasta replacement.

It’s easier than you think and you can cook spaghetti squash stove top or roast in the oven. 

It seems that everyone loves spaghetti squash recipes, but can we all agree, spaghetti squash has a bit of a mystery to it.

You start both methods the same way. Microwave for a few minutes to soften. If you don’t have a microwave, it’s a little trickier to cut the squash in half lengthwise. In that case try to trim down a piece of skin lengthwise to begin cutting through. Once it is halved, scoop out all the seeds. They are much harder to separate seeds, once cooked. Trust me on that.

Then either cook stove top or roast.

Stove top is super easy. Put a couple inches of water in pot wide enough to hold each half of spaghetti squash, cover and cook about 20 to 30 minutes. It steams in the pot and is ready for these delicious recipes.  

If your squash is very large, oven roasting is the best method.

Make Spaghetti Squash in Oven

There are two ways to roast spaghetti squash in the oven.

Oven Roast Spaghetti Squash – Rub with olive oil, place face down with a small amount of water in pan. Roast at 400 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes. Check at 30. You don’t want mushy squash.

Roast Whole – Sometimes if the spaghetti squash is extra large, and too hard to cut through, I’ll place the spaghetti squash whole in the oven on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, checking in at 30 minutes.

Tips for Cooking Spaghetti Squash

I actually roast my squash in the oven.

•  Before roasting it, I have to cut it in half.
• I find sticking it in the microwave helps it have a little give. Then use a good, sharp knife.
• It’s very important to scrape the seeds out before roasting. They are harder to remove once it cooked.
• Don’t over-roast to mush, especially if you’re going to do put a sauce over it.

Recipes with Spaghetti Squash

Here is my favorite dish when the Fall weather sets in.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Italian Sausage and Mushrooms 

Italian Dishes with Spaghetti Squash

• Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
• Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
• Italian Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Ricotta

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash for Breakfast

Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns 

Spaghetti Squash is a low carb vegetable

Spaghetti Squash is a low-carb vegetable. One cup is 5.5. net grams. It’s one of the vegetables acceptable on a ketogenic diet and has a low glycemic index of 20. Use spaghetti squash in place of any pasta dish.

Visit this is post for 30 low-carb vegetables and 75 related recipes.

Pin This

Enjoy these recipes. Please visit my Amazon Shop for the smart kitchen tools I use over and over.

Print

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Italian Sausage and Mushrooms come together with Spaghetti Squash and Heavy Cream for delicious Winter Comfort Food.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 medium Spaghetti Squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• salt and pepper

Squash Filling

Instructions

• Microwave spaghetti squash for 3 to 5 minutes, to make it soft enough to cut it.
• Carefully cut in half lengthwise using a towel to hold the squash.
• Scoop out seeds. It’s important to do that now, as they are harder to separate out once baked.
• Brush olive oil or butter over spaghetti squash.
• Put into baking dish open squash side down.
• Roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. or until it’s easy to shred squash into tendrils with a fork.
• Remove spaghetti squash and allow to cool.
• Use the fork to shred the squash.

The post How to Cook Spaghetti Squash with Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I’m Italian and it was only after my husband said this was the best spaghetti squash he’s ever had that I realized I could title this as a form of lasagna that is keto friendly and grain free.

It all started with a spaghetti squash that sat on the counter for a few weeks. I had no plan, but I did have a can of Italian tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella cheese, pecorino, ricotta cheese, and a pound of mixed ground beef and ground pork. It can also be made with Italian sausage.

When these ingredients come together in the right balance, it’s very reminiscent of lasagna. It has the creaminess of the cheese, the flavor from the meat, a combination of ground pork and ground beef, pulled together by a fresh quick tomato sauce.

Spaghetti Squash lasagna is very easy to put together with little actual prep time.
The squash is oven roasted like I did in this recipe, which gives it a caramelized depth of flavor.

How to Roast Spaghetti Squash 

The hardest part of roasting spaghetti squash is cutting it to roast it. You can microwave it for a few minutes to make it easier and then cut lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and pulp. Place face down in a baking dish with a few inches of water and bake until tender at 400 degrees F.

While the squash is baking, you can make a quick tomato sauce, and brown the meat. I like meatballs in my lasagna, but to make it easier, I add some spices and pecorino cheese to a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage and browned it. It gives you the taste of the meatballs without the trouble, but using left-over meatballs can be a good idea.

I used a combination of beef and pork, but you can use all beef, ground turkey, or even Italian sausage. I flavored the meat the same way I flavor meatballs, with lots of pecorino and parsley.

This is a great recipe to make when you have left over meatballs, such as these paleo meatballs

Pin this ↓

Use Three Cheeses for Keto Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I used three cheeses, pecorino (for the meatballs) and for topping, fresh mozzarella and ricotta. If you don’t have pecorino, use parmesan.

More Spaghetti Squash Recipes

This is one of our favorite Fall to Winter dishes for its earthiness from the mushrooms.

Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

Spaghetti Squash Hasbrowns

Sausage Mushroom Stuffed Spaghetti Squash 

Print

Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Caserole, Keto Friendly

Easy Three Cheese Lasagna made with Spaghetti Squash, Keto Friendly, Low Carb. Paleo, Gluten free.

Course Keto Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 337kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups quick tomato sauce recipe below
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 pound of ground meat or Italian sausage see notes
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup pecorino romano or parmesan
• parsley
• red chili flakes
• salt
• pepper

Quick Tomato Sauce

• 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 onion

Instructions

• Roast spaghetti squash
• Soften spaghetti squash by microwaving for five minutes.
• Or you can just cut in half, lengthwise.
• Scrape out seeds and stringy parts.
• Put face down in pot. Add water up to about 3 inches.
• Roast for 40 minutes or until softened.

Tomato Sauce

• Crush tomatoes with hand.
• Heat olive oil.
• Add onion and garlic.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes while squash is baking.
• You can choose to smooth out the sauce using a stick blender.

Make Ground Beef Mixture

• Season meat with parsley, 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, salt and pepper.
• Brown Meat. Drain grease if necessary.

Assemble Lasagna

• Shred spaghetti squash with a fork.
• Paper towel moisture off of squash.
• Arrange in casserole dish.
• Toss with Sauce. You may not use all of the sauce, depending as to how much you have.
• Arrange meat, ricotta cheese and mozzarella in various places in dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until all cheese is melted.
• Allow to cool about ten minutes. Serve with extra Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Notes

You can use ground beef, loose Italian sausage or a mix of of beef/pork.

Net cabs: 7 with Six Servings

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 2g

The post Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Casserole, Keto Friendly appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Spaghetti squash carbonara now joins good company at Spinach Tiger if you remember this shrimp recipe. 

This time, instead of tomatoes, I’m applying a northern Italian spin making spaghetti squash carbonara. It’s been a long time since I’ve made carbonara here with actual spaghetti so it wasn’t too hard to transfer this recipe to be keto or paleo friendly.

What is Spaghetti Carbonara?

Carbonara is a pasta made with egg, hard cheese (usually pecorino), a cured pork (guanciale or pancetta) and pepper.

Guanciale comes from the jowl of the pig, but is not easily found in the United States. I use pancetta,  which comes from the belly of the pig, is often aged with herbs, and also has a different flavor from bacon.

I’ve been lucky enough to eat spaghetti alla carbonara in Rome where the dish originates and it was quite memorable, nuanced, not heavy, but yielding enough good flavor.

I particularly like the use of pancetta in this recipe, because it gives it that little extra Italian flavor. You can substitute with bacon if you prefer.

My original carbonara recipe was for an entire pound of pasta. You would probably have to make a lot of spaghetti squash to get that amount, so this recipe is cut down considerably.

The first thing you need to know how to do is make spaghetti squash and I have that recipe here.

The rest is easy.

Important Ingredients for Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

If you unfamiliar with Pecorino, it’s a hard sheep’s cheese, tangy and salty. It adds a jolt of flavor, and it’s the Italian cheese I use the most.

• Spaghetti Squash
• Pecorino Cheese AND Parmesan Cheese
• Egg
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Pancetta Bacon (or bacon)
• White wine (optional)

The Process

Cook your pancetta or bacon while you are making your spaghetti squash. Put aside, until you are ready to bring it all together. Start with a warmed spaghetti squash before adding your ingredients. You will need to serve immediately.

Pin This

More Low Carb Italian Dishes with Spaghetti Squash

Print

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

A low carb version of Carbonara using Spaghetti Squash

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 oz. pancetta bacon, either or, or both (sliced into 1/4” inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 large egg I used pasteurized, but you can use very good farm fresh eggs
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
• black pepper
• 1 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 large spaghetti squash

Instructions

• Make Spaghetti Squash. Set aside.
• Fry garlic in oil until golden and then discard. Add pancetta (or bacon). I used half bacon and half pancetta, but you can do this anyway you like.
• Once crispy, add wine. Before you do that, lower the heat, so the oil and wine do not form a geyser. Be careful, as you add wine, having a lid in hand. Cook for 1 or two minutes. Turn off heat.
• Break egg in bowl l you will serving spaghetti.
• Beat eggs and add in grated cheeses, pepper and half of parsley.
• Reserve an extra tablespoon of parsley for garnish (along with a bit of micro greens).
• Add spaghetti squash to bowl with beaten eggs and toss. Reheat pancetta and add to pasta. Serve at once.

The post Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Pancetta appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am forever searching for that bite of comfort food that I can eat all I want of.
I like to eat. I like fairly good-sized portions of food. But I want it to be food that loves me.

Isn’t the misconception in the eating, get fat, get thin, lose weight world one of suffering through the “don’t eat this’s” and the “don’t eat thats. ” We all know what happens at the end, don’t we?

We eat everything that’s all wrong in so many ways. So, I’m always on the search for food that doesn’t require suffering.

Spaghetti squash hash brown with bacon and shallots is only pleasure, and is the recreation of the ever loving potato hash brown.

We’ve all seen spaghetti squash tell pasta to move over, like in this dish with spicy shrimp, but not too often, do we see spaghetti squash tell a potato to move over.

I’m not saying potatoes are bad foods, but they are heavy carbs and there are times we proclaim a zero carb zone. It’s the way of this century, and I suspect many years to come. One hashbrown is about 3 or 4 carbs and has fiber, so fill up.

To make a really perfectly balanced meal, add in oven fried eggs,  and enjoy one of my favorite breakfasts. Of course, I added some bacon (pancetta would be good, too) and some shallots.

Shallots make just about everything better, but feel free to substitute scallions.

Use my OVEN FRIED SUNNY SIDE UP EGG recipe to keep it easy and fool proof.

So tell me, do you have any tricks for cutting the calories? Or eating healthier for breakfast. I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

Print

Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns

A very healthy take on hash browns, made with spaghetti squash, bacon and shallots.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/2 spaghetti squash roasted
• 1 large shallot diced
• 2 pieces bacon
• 4 eggs

Instructions

• Roast spaghetti squash, by trimming off each end, slicing crosswise.
• Place seeds side down in baking dish with 2 inches of water. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
• Once done, remove seeds and pulp.
• Squeeze out excess moisture.
• Form into patties. Season with salt.
• Chop bacon into a dice and saute in frying pan with shallots until bacon is done.
• Remove bacon and shallots. Set aside.
• Fry hash brown patties in same pan. They don't need a lot of oil to fry.
• Seerecipe here for oven fried sunny side up eggs.

More Healthy Egg Breakfast Ideas:

Arugula Hash

Sweet Potato Brussels Sprouts Hash with Oven Baked Hash

The post Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns appeared first on Spinach Tiger.