![Southern Living Spaghetti Squash Casserole in the baking dish to serve](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/j082BOYmcbVe949OxOSSDSRN8oI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Spaghetti-Squash-Casserole_Batch54_beauty_9696-1dbe2ced6cfd457f92329ad0115fd11a.jpg)
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Cheesy, gooey spaghetti squash casserole is the comfort food dish your family will be delighted to eat. Sure, squash may be a bit different—they're used to eating pasta bakes after all—but no one will even notice that they're getting a sneaky serving of vegetables in this mouthwatering dish.
All the usual suspects of a great pasta casserole are here: marinara, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Italian sausage. It's delicious, and it holds up better than a pasta dish, too, upon reheating. Serve with garlic bread for an even better experience. You'll love how easy it is to make this family-friendly dinner.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Gather all your favorite Italian-inspired ingredients, but get some spaghetti squash in place of the pasta. Here's what you'll need:
- Spaghetti squash: You'll need two spaghetti squash, each about 2 1/2 pounds.
- Olive oil: You'll use this to coat the squash before roasting. It helps the squash stay hydrated during cooking.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: To season the squash.
- Ground round: We like ground round, which is usually 85 percent lean and 15 percent fat, but you can use any ground meat you prefer, even ground chicken or turkey.
- Ground hot Italian pork sausage: No hot sausage available? Use mild or sweet sausage, and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
- Yellow onion and garlic: These aromatics add a great backbone of flavor to the beef mixture.
- Marinara sauce: Use your favorite. We love Rao's.
- Mozzarella cheese: For the best melting factor, buy a block and shred your own.
- Parmesan cheese: A second cheese never hurt.
- Parsley: Adds a final touch of color and freshness to the casserole.
![Southern Living Spaghetti Squash Casserole ingredients](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/DfSd_bGB_uFC2-WMCKbRp6R50Gg=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Spaghetti-Squash-Casserole_Batch54_Step1_9518-1-eb0b1bb4e510407ba86e6aa5928e1e4d.jpg)
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Squash Strategy
Use a kitchen towel to assist when you're cutting the spaghetti squash. Cut the stem end off first to get a flat edge and then stand the squash on the flat edge and push down on a long knife, with a kitchen towel on the tip end.
How To Make Spaghetti Squash Casserole
The full recipe is below, but really this casserole is so easy, you can nearly guess how it's made. Here's a quick recap:
- Roast squash: Split the two squash in half, scraping out the seeds. Brush on olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast about 45 minutes on 350°F until the squash is tender. Check it a few times in the last few minutes of roasting so you don't over cook. When it's tender, pull from the oven, and let it cool slightly. Then, scrape the strands of squash out of the halves.
- Cook meat mixture: Cook the ground round and sausage until browned, then add the onion, garlic, marinara, and some cheese. Stir in the squash, and spoon into the prepared baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake casserole: Finally, bake the casserole about 35 minutes at 350°F until golden and bubbly. Top with some parsley, and let cool slightly.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
The spaghetti squash for this casserole can be roasted (up to the end of step 3) and refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months. Once you're ready to eat the casserole, begin the recipe at step 4 with the pre-roasted squash.
After the casserole is baked, it will keep in the fridge for up to one week.
If you have leftovers, transfer to an airtight container, or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Can you freeze spaghetti squash casserole?
You can freeze spaghetti squash casserole, but we recommend against it really. Spaghetti squash can turn mushy and watery after it's frozen and thawed. That's OK if you're freezing just the squash—you can drain it after it's thawed to remove excess water.
If you need to get ahead in some manner, roast the squash before you finish the rest of the dish at a later date. The roasted squash is good in the fridge up to three days, so you'll buy yourself some time and speed up the final casserole steps.
Variations
You can change up this recipe a bit to your personal preferences and still have outstanding results. Here are a few suggestions from our Test Kitchen:
- Make your own marinara, if you wish! Or use your favorite jar of pasta sauce, like arrabiata, vodka, or roasted garlic.
- Add some green. Throw spinach in with the meat sauce for even more veggies.
- Make this "pizza" spaghetti squash. Arrange pepperoni on top before baking.
- Change the cheese. Use different cheese blends, to your liking (fontina, asiago, pecorino Romano, etc.).
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
If you're a big fan of spaghetti squash, you'll love these recipes:
![Southern Living Spaghetti Squash Casserole on plates to serve](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/TCGReJXGamt794K4CCDzOZ0zR7w=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Spaghetti-Squash-Casserole_Batch54_beauty_9712-54ec084d0d9d4fbbb9f1f750ad5a7641.jpg)
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Ingredients
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2 (2 1/2-lb.) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
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3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
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1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
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1 tsp. black pepper, divided
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1 1/4 lb. ground round
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8 oz. ground hot Italian pork sausage
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1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 medium [6 oz.] onion)
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2 Tbsp. minced garlic (from 6 medium garlic cloves)
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1 (24-oz.) jar marinara sauce
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1 (8-oz.) pkg. pre-shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups), divided
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2 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 1/2 cup), divided
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1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
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Prepare squash:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub squash evenly with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Flip squash:
Arrange squash, cut sides down, on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Roast spaghetti squash:
Roast in preheated oven until squash is easily pierced using a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.
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Cook ground beef and sausage:
While squash cooks, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add ground round and sausage; cook, stirring often, until just browned, about 6 minutes.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Add onion and garlic:
Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Add marinara:
Stir marinara and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into mixture in Dutch oven. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Scrape squash:
Using a fork, scrape cooled squash flesh into long strands, and place in a large bowl. Discard shells. (Strands may be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.)
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Mix squash and meat mixture:
Add beef mixture to squash in large bowl; toss to combine.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Add cheese:
Stir half (about 1 cup) of the mozzarella cheese and half (about 1/4 cup) of the Parmesan into mixture in large bowl.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Add casserole mixture to baking dish:
Spoon mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Bake casserole:
Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Top with parsley:
Sprinkle casserole evenly with parsley. Serve.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Frequently Asked Questions
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Roasting spaghetti squash is very easy, but you can also microwave spaghetti squash to save time. Place squash halves in a shallow microwave-safe dish with a small amount of water. Microwave on HIGH until tender, which should be about 11 minutes.
Learn More: How To Cook Spaghetti Squash -
Spaghetti squash turns watery when it's overcooked. The best way to prevent watery squash is to cook until the squash is just tender. If it's still a little too wet for your tastes, place the squash strands in a colander and let water drain out. Then, pat dry with paper towels before adding to other ingredients.
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No, spaghetti squash doesn't taste like pasta, but it's a good substitute for pasta in many dishes. Spaghetti squash is nutty and a little bit sweet, and it won't compete with most sauces and toppings. It's also tender but has a bit of chew, just like pasta. You may find that you're pleasantly surprised by how much you like it, even if it isn't pasta.
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Many people use spaghetti squash as a low-carb alternative to pasta. For us, however, it's just a delicious way to get more vegetables into weeknight meals.