Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Spaghetti squash – The reason so many people use it as a pasta substitute is because of the way the flesh becomes stringy, resembling spaghetti noodles (i.e. the name spaghetti squash) sans the fancy spiralizer equipment. I love this type of squash for its mild squash flavor and the way that it can be easily made into boats and loaded with all sorts of ingredients.
• Mozzarella – I use part-skim, also called low-moisture mozzarella in this recipe. Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content and it becomes runny rather than gooey as it melts. 
• Spinach – It’s amazing how much spinach you can put into the pan and the minimal ball that comes out. The creamed spinach adds a contrasting rich and creamy element to the homemade marinara sauce in these boats.
• Tomato sauce – While this recipe calls for homemade marinara sauce,  store-bought sauce can be used as as a substitute. There’s nothing wrong with canned sauce and it can be an easy shortcut, but since the homemade sauce only requires a few ingredients, I typically prefer to make my own.

How to Make Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

For the spaghetti squash:

1. Remove seeds from the squash, Scoop out the seeds of the spaghetti squash using a spoon and discard.
2. Bake the spaghetti squash. Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Rub the inside of each half with the olive oil.  Bake until the spaghetti squash is tender when poked with a fork, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 6 minutes then use a fork to scrape flesh from top to bottom. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

For the marinara sauce:

1. Sauté the onion. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the onion and sauté until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
2. Simmer the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil and red pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

For the creamed spinach:

1. Sauté garlic. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
2. Sauté the spinach. Add the spinach, tossing to coat all the leaves in the oil. Sauté the spinach, stirring occasionally, until all the leaves have wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove to a large bowl and return the pan to the heat.
3. Make bechamel. Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the flour, whisking to combine. Let the roux cook until a pale golden brown, about a minute. Add the milk, whisking to incorporate.
4. Thicken the sauce and add spinach. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, whisking until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Return the spinach to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt then add the sauce over the bowl of spaghetti squash flesh, stirring to combine, and evenly coat the squash.

For assembly:

1. Heat the oven. Heat oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
2. Fill the squash boats. Arrange the spaghetti squash boats, cut side up on a baking sheet. Spread ¼ cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of each boat, then fill with the spinach and spaghetti squash mixture. Top each with an additional ¼ cup of the sauce then top with the mozzarella cheese.
3. Bake and serve. Bake until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool then top with Parmesan cheese and arugula to garnish. Serve hot.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

• You can even add seared Italian sausage to the tomato sauce for a more complete entrée (or for someone who just can’t pass up even one night of meat).
• While I use a homemade tomato sauce in this recipe, a store-bought sauce can be substituted for a shortcut.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Crispy Polenta with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Sautéed Kale and Mushrooms
• Kabocha Squash Mac and Cheese
• Lasagna Verde