Spaghetti Squash Boats Recipe
Make these straightforward spaghetti squash boats crammed with the flavors of the Mediterranean! They’re filled with juicy floor turkey, ripe tomatoes, recent kale, and tangy feta, baked underneath a tacky blanket of melty mozzarella.
For a very long time, we thought no means I might prime these stuffed zucchini boats, however I kinda did! These stuffed squash boats are among the finest methods to eat spaghetti squash. I nonetheless bear in mind the primary time I made this Mediterranean-inspired recipe. My pasta-loving husband devoured his portion and even requested for seconds. They’re filled with savory floor turkey, juicy tomatoes, leafy kale, and tangy crumbled feta, plus a melty layer of mozzarella. Even my choosy 6-year-old on the time didn’t discover all of the veggies!
Why You’ll Love These Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Boats
- Simple. These squash boats are tremendous healthful, and nice for weeknight dinners because it’s very straightforward to prep, fill, and bake the squash in about an hour.
- Mild and scrumptious. I like spaghetti squash recipes like my creamy spaghetti squash as a result of I really feel like I’m indulging, minus the carbs that include precise spaghetti (as a lot as we adore it). This recipe has all of the summery flavors I like packed into a light-weight and satisfying dinner.
- Adaptable. Change up the protein, filling, veggies, and absolutely anything else from this stuffed squash recipe to fit your tastes. Identical to pasta, you will get artistic along with your favourite seasonal elements—or take inspiration from pesto zucchini noodles for a recent, herby twist!
Components You’ll Want
When you’ve been following the weblog for some time now, you recognize I might reside on Mediterranean-style dishes each single day. This recipe makes use of easy elements that I hold stocked in my fridge and pantry, and I’ll wager you have already got a number of of them, too!
Try my notes right here, and scroll right down to the recipe card for the printable recipe, adopted by a photograph step-by-step displaying the way to make your spaghetti squash boats.
- Spaghetti Squash –Spaghetti squash is a standard winter squash in the identical household as acorn squash and butternut squash. The identify comes from the truth that you possibly can shred the squash into lengthy, spaghetti-like strands. You’ll usually discover them year-round in grocery retailer produce sections.
- Oil – For roasting and sautéeing. I like grapeseed oil because it has a excessive smoke level and delicate taste. Olive oil and avocado oil will work right here, too.
- Onion – Both yellow or white onion, diced.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is greatest, however you possibly can substitute ¼-½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove in a pinch.
- Floor Turkey – You’ll be able to substitute floor turkey with floor rooster, pork, or floor beef if most popular. An alternative choice is to make use of leftover roast turkey and shred it.
- Thyme – This may be recent thyme (simply the leaves, not the sprigs), or you possibly can substitute ½ teaspoon of dried thyme. You’ll additionally want salt and pepper to season the filling to style.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – I take advantage of canned tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano. When you use common diced tomatoes, think about including ½ teaspoon every of dried basil, garlic powder, and oregano to make up the flavour. An alternative choice is to make use of fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Kale Leaves – I like to recommend child kale leaves, or you possibly can chop bigger leaves into smaller bites. Child spinach is an efficient substitute.
- Feta Cheese – You can additionally attempt crumbled goat cheese or freshly grated Parmesan.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Use freshly shredded mozzarella by itself, or use a mix of mozzarella and cheddar for a barely totally different taste.
- Chopped Parsley – Or recent basil, for garnish.
How one can Select a Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is available in totally different shapes and colours, although the commonest kind you’ll discover in shops is oval-shaped and yellow. When cooked, the flesh contained in the squash separates into strands that resemble spaghetti (therefore the identify).
When purchasing for spaghetti squash, I all the time search for ones that really feel heavy for his or her measurement, with matte, golden, easy pores and skin that doesn’t present indicators of bruising or blemishes.
Recipe Ideas and Variations
- Use a microwave AND oven-safe dish. I microwave my squash in the identical baking dish that I take advantage of to bake the squash boats afterward. Make sure that it’s a glass dish or a ceramic dish that may safely go from the microwave to the oven. In any other case, you’ll want to change pans earlier than baking, which can be high-quality.
- Don’t overcook the squash. Whichever means you prepare dinner your squash, take care to not overcook it or the flesh will turn into mushy. You need the strands to have a little bit of chew, just like al dente pasta.
- Make it further tacky. For a creamier texture, add a bit of ricotta or cream cheese to the filling earlier than stuffing the boats.
- Make it forward. Put together the filling a day upfront to save lots of time. Merely heat it up, fill the squash boats, and bake when able to serve.
- Change up the protein. When you’re not a fan of floor turkey, be happy to make use of floor beef, rooster, or perhaps a plant-based meat substitute for a vegetarian choice.
- Extra veggies. This spaghetti squash boats recipe is tremendous versatile. Be at liberty so as to add in further veggies like sautéed or roasted bell peppers, grilled zucchini, or roasted mushrooms.
Retailer and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. You’ll be able to retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat your squash boats, cowl them with foil and pop them again within the oven till all the pieces is warmed by means of.
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- 2 complete spaghetti squash, (about 1.5 kilos every)
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound floor turkey
- 2 sprigs recent thyme leaves, (don’t add all the sprig – simply the leaves)
- salt and freshly floor black pepper, to style
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
- 1 bag (5 ounces) child kale leaves, chopped
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- chopped recent parsley, for garnish
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Prep the spaghetti squash. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Wash the skin of the squash, then slice it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
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Season the spaghetti squash boats. Brush the within of the squash boats with a tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.
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Prepare dinner. Switch the squash boats to a microwave-safe 9×13 baking dish, putting the squash face down. Fill the dish with about an inch of water. Microwave on HIGH for quarter-hour. Take away from microwave and let stand 10 minutes or till cool sufficient to deal with.
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Prep the filling. Warmth a tablespoon of cooking oil in a nonstick frying pan; add onions, garlic, and floor turkey. Utilizing a wood spoon, break up the meat, add thyme leaves, and season with salt and pepper.
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Proceed to prepare dinner the filling. Proceed to prepare dinner for 4 to five minutes or till the meat is browned and cooked by means of. Stir within the tomatoes and prepare dinner for two minutes. Add the kale and proceed to prepare dinner for two extra minutes or till the kale is wilted.
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Season and put aside. Take away the bottom turkey combination from the warmth and stir within the crumbled feta cheese. Style for seasonings; regulate accordingly, and put aside.
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Make the “spaghetti strands”. Flip the spaghetti squash boats, take a fork, and peel the spaghetti strands. Add the spaghetti strands to the bottom turkey combination and gently combine till nicely mixed.
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Fill the boats. Switch the bottom turkey combination into the scraped-out squash bowls and prime with mozzarella cheese. Place the squash boats in a 9×13 baking dish (I take advantage of the identical one which I used to microwave the squash). Bake for quarter-hour, or till the cheese is melted.
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Serve. Take away from oven. Garnish with chopped recent parsley and serve.
Serving: 1boat | Energy: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 38g | Fats: 24g | Saturated Fats: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 9g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 737mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3974IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 383mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate based on the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
How one can Make Spaghetti Squash Boats
I’ve an in-depth tutorial on the way to prepare dinner spaghetti squash within the microwave, and that’s the tactic I take advantage of right here to arrange the squash for stuffing. It’s fast and simple (in fact, in the event you’d quite bake the squash earlier than you fill it, that tutorial incorporates oven directions, too).
- Put together the squash. Begin by washing the spaghetti squash, then use a pointy knife to slice it lengthwise down the center. Afterward, scoop out the seeds.
- Prepare dinner the squash. Subsequent, brush the reduce sides of the squash with oil, season with salt and pepper, and place the halves face down in a microwave-safe dish crammed with about an inch of water. Microwave the squash on Excessive for quarter-hour till it’s mushy, then let it cool.
- Put together the filling. Whereas the squash cools, sauté the onions, garlic, and floor turkey in a pan with a bit extra oil. Add thyme, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner till the turkey is browned.
- Add veggies. Stir within the canned tomatoes. Prepare dinner for a few minutes, then add the kale and prepare dinner till that’s wilted. Lastly, take away the pan from warmth and blend within the crumbled feta.
- Mix. Utilizing a fork, scrape the cooked squash into spaghetti-like strands. Add the squash to the turkey combination and blend till all the pieces is nicely mixed.
- Fill and bake. Lastly, spoon the filling again into the squash shells, prime with mozzarella, and bake for quarter-hour at 400ºF till the cheese on prime is melted. Garnish the spaghetti squash boats with chopped recent parsley and luxuriate in!
