Don’t tell traditional lasagna, but I prefer this spaghetti squash lasagna recipe! Not only does it rival even the tastiest low carb recipes, it packs that sweetness you love from spaghetti squash.
Not even the best pasta can do that!
Plus, you get all the usual yumminess you’d expect from low carb lasagna — perfectly seasoned spaghetti sauce, creamy ricotta, and my favorite, fresh basil!
I know you’re on the look out for tasty healthy recipes, and I am so excited to share this spaghetti squash lasagna recipe with you.
Low carb but high flavor, it’s the perfect dinner bake!
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What I Love About This Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Recipe
Delicious, easy, and low carb, this spaghetti squash lasagna may just be the perfect dish.
Wait — it’s also loaded with cheese.
Yup. It’s perfect!
- Spaghetti squash sweetness throughout!
- Three types of cheese
- All the comfort food, none of the heaviness
- Great way to get your veggies!
Recipe Notes
There are two main steps to making this spaghetti squash lasagna recipe: cooking the spaghetti squash itself, and cooking the filling. Making lasagna may seem like a big undertaking, but I promise, it’s really simple!
Let me walk you through the ingredients and steps.
Ingredient Notes
Why is this spaghetti squash lasagna recipe so sweet-yummy-ooey-gooey perfect? It all starts with:
Spaghetti Squash: Roasted spaghetti squash is one of the best swaps for pasta out there! It has less than half the calories, and only 10g of carbs to pasta’s 42g. Plus, each serving of spaghetti squash is packed with nutrients, from Vitamin C to potassium!
Worried it’ll be too squash-y? Just try it, I promise!
Spaghetti squash breaks into strands just like pasta while being naturally al dente when roasted in the oven. And that sweetness! It takes pasta dishes to a whole new level.
Oodles of Noodles: Still not sold on the wonders of spaghetti squash? Don’t worry — there are tons of veggie noodles out there to suit every taste!
My favorite swap for this recipe is zucchini noodles, or zoodles! They bake up faster than spaghetti squash while having less calories and less carbs.
Spaghetti Sauce: I don’t recommend just any sauce for this dish — you have to try my low carb spaghetti sauce! With just 8g of carbs, making spaghetti sauce at home is an easy, delicious way to control what goes into your food, and you can adjust your spice and flavor preferences as needed.
It’s easier than you think!
Fresh Basil: One of the ingredients that makes this dish extra yummy is the fresh basil. But some seasons don’t give you a whole lot of fresh basil to pick from!
I recommend storing fresh basil when you do get it so you can have some during the winter months. I specifically love freezing the whole leaves.
Tools To Make
To whip up this spaghetti squash lasagna recipe the best way you can, you’ll need a few common kitchen tools:
- Rimmed baking sheet (or, if you’re making Instant Pot spaghetti squash, you’ll just need your Instant Pot!)
- Glaze brush for oil
- Fork to shred your squash
- Skillet to cook your meat and veggies
- Wooden spoon to stir your meat and veggies
- Paper towels to drain your meat
- Plate for the paper towel and meat
- Bowl to mix your filling
- Casserole dish to cook your lasagna
Storing Tips
The biggest question I always get when it comes to dishes like this spaghetti squash lasagna recipes and pasta substitutes is do you treat your dish like pasta or veggies?
The answer: treat it like veggies!
You can store baked squash in the fridge for up to five days. With spaghetti squash, the high water content in the squash will eventually start to leak out and water down your sauce, so you don’t want to let it sit in your fridge for too long.
The good news is that even if it does start to get watery, you can just give it a stir, and the taste is still good!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! You can freeze spaghetti squash. If you’re making this spaghetti squash lasagna recipe planning to freeze it, you’ll want to drain your squash after you bake it to get as much excess liquid out of it as possible.
That way you avoid icky freezer burn or condensation.
Meal Prepping Tips
Oftentimes, when you’re looking for low carb dinners, what you really want are healthy dinner ideas that you can do in a pinch. This spaghetti squash lasagna recipe takes almost two hours to make, so on nights when everything is hectic, that just won’t do!
But you can definitely speed up the process! I mentioned in the Tools segment above that you can bake your spaghetti squash in an Instant Pot instead of the oven.
That’ll definitely shave time off of your recipe!
And you’ll see in the full recipe below that you can opt to cook the lasagna directly in the spaghetti squash shells. This will also save you a good chunk of baking time!
Serving Recommendations
No true Italian comfort food meal is complete without equally delicious side dishes! I love serving this spaghetti squash lasagna with a grilled Caesar salad — the pop of Caesar dressing goes so well with the creamy cheese of the lasagna.
But if you want more cheese (and, let’s face it, who doesn’t), you have to try my low carb cheese sauce — perfect for adding a touch more creaminess to your dish.
Want to up the veggies even more? Go for the spaghetti squash casserole side dish — make it a spaghetti squash theme night!
Recipe Variations
Want to see what kind of flavor combinations we can make in this dish? Let’s find out!
- Swap sausage for chicken! Lasagna stuffed chicken is a great way to get your protein without the extra fat and calories of sausage. Plus, it’s tender and juicy in all the best chicken ways!
- Add some pesto. Pesto spaghetti squash is a great way to highlight the earthiness of this squash! If you do opt for this route, try my pesto recipe to keep things on the healthy, low-carb side.
- Use Other Kinds Of Veggies. It’s a veggie bonanza! I already mentioned the wonders of zoodles above — zucchini lasagna is absolutely divine, and gives you a more solid noodle-like texture.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Noodles:
- 6-8 Pound Large Spaghetti Squash Flesh included. This should be about 2 small spaghetti squash, or 1 large.
- Mild Tasting Oil (see notes below)
Filling:
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage casing removed
- 1 Yellow Onion chopped finely
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 - 24 Ounce Jars of Low Carb Spaghetti Sauce OR, no sugar added marinara
- 2 Teaspoons Oregano dried
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Basil dried
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 32 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Cups Parmesan Cheese divided
- 4 Cups Mozzarella Shredded divided
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil Chopped
Instructions
Noodles:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut spaghetti squash is half and scoop the seeds from the center using a spoon.
- Brush the cut side of each half with vegetable oil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet cut side down.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until your squash is done once the squash is fork-tender.
- Run a fork through the flesh of the spaghetti squash to form "noodles".
Filling:
- While squash is cooking, cook meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up with the back of your spoon as it cooks. Cook until no pink is left.
- Place cooked meat on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Carefully remove excess fat from skillet using paper towels.
- Add vegetable oil and onions. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat, and stir in the pasta sauce and meat.
- In a large bowl, combine the oregano, basil, salt, pepper, ricotta, egg. Plus 1 cup of parmesan and 2 cups of mozzarella.
- Add the red sauce to your ricotta combo, and stir to combine.
- Add spaghetti squash noodles, and toss to evenly coat the noodles.
Assembling:
- You can bake this dish 1 of 2 ways:1. In the spaghetti squash shell.To do this, you'll want to scoop the filling into the spaghetti squash shells and sprinkle the remaining cheese (1 cup parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella) on top.There will be more filling than you can fit in the shells -- I like to bake this in a separate 8x8 casserole dish.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.2. In a casserole dish.Spread the filling into a 9x13 pan in an even layer. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese (1 cup parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella).Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Bake in your preheated oven. If using the shells, these will bake for 30 minutes. If using the casserole dish, it will take closer to 45 minutes.
- You'll know your lasagna is done once the top is golden brown and the dish is heated through.
- Allow lasagna to cool slightly before serving, and enjoy!
Fans Also Made These Low Carb Recipes:
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Lindsey's Tips
Nutrition
More Low Carb Pasta Recipes
The flavors keep on coming with low carb pasta! Aside from this decadent spaghetti squash lasagna recipe, here are some of my other must-have meals:
- Butternut Squash Noodles: You can make noodles out of other squash too!
- Almond Flour Pasta: Make pasta at home
- Kohlrabi Noodles: Another great veggie noodle option!
- Cabbage Lasagna: Bring a Russian twist to your lasagna!
- Carrot Noodles: Orange and sweet and the perfect treat
Conclusion
So, what’d you think? Easy and delicious, right? This spaghetti squash lasagna recipe won me over with first bite — I’m sure you’re a believer in spaghetti squash’s powers now too!
What do you love pairing with Italian food? Let me know in the comments!
