Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Whether you’re counting carbs or prefer a healthier alternative to traditional spaghetti, this Spaghetti Squash and Meatball recipe is for you! This quick and easy dish allows you to indulge without the feeling of guilt! Flavourful, juicy and tender meatballs are coated in a fresh and spicy pasta sauce, dusted with Pecorino Romano and nestled into perfectly baked spaghetti squash halves. Who needs a bowl when the spaghetti squash itself serves as the perfect serving vessel?!

My Spaghetti Squash and Meatball recipe consists of spaghetti squash, meatballs, pasta sauce, Pecorino Romano and fresh basil leaves. Spaghetti squash serves as the pasta of choice in this recipe! This vegetable noodle is a lighter, healthier and delicious substitute for traditional spaghetti. The flesh of a spaghetti squash is comprised of fibrous strands which grow in a circular fashion around the width of the vegetable. Cutting the squash in half widthwise allows you to capitalize on this, producing longer “spaghetti” or noodles when cooked. The spaghetti squash is brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and placed on a baking sheet cut side down. Cooking the squash cut side down is the secret here! This cooking method gently steams the squash, yielding flesh that is moist, soft and tender. You know your squash is cooked through when it can be easily pierced with a fork. Then, allow the cooked squash to stand for a few minutes and cool ever so slightly. Once it is cool enough to handle, use a fork to rake the inside of the squash to form the "spaghetti" or pasta.

Spaghetti and meatballs go hand in hand! You can’t have one without the other! To keep things quick and simple, this recipe calls for homemade or store-bought, cooked meatballs and pasta sauce. Beef and pork meatballs are my go-to, but chicken, turkey or plant-based meatballs all work beautifully in this dish. While the squash is cooking, the meatballs are heated in a fresh, fragrant and spicy Arrabbiata pasta sauce, allowing the flavours to intensify and meld. If you’ve never had Arrabbiata pasta sauce you’re missing out! This tomato-based sauce is made using slowly simmered Italian tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes (or chilis), giving it its signature spicy and intense flavour profile.

The meatballs are ladled overtop the cooked squash halves, smothered in sauce and topped with grated Pecorino Romano and fresh basil leaves. All the ingredients combine to create an aromatic, flavourful, fresh, hearty, juicy, savoury, spicy, sweet and tender bite! This dish delivers all the comfort and satisfaction of classic spaghetti and meatballs without ever feeling like a compromise!

My Spaghetti Squash and Meatball recipe makes for the perfect weeknight meal! It comes together in under one hour, uses a handful of simple and everyday ingredients and couldn’t be easier to make. So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For more fun and exciting squash recipes, try my Butternut Squash Pasta, Stuffed Delicata Squash, Maple Roasted Acorn Squash, Pumpkin Loaf and Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats recipes!  

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 – 50 minutes

Total Time: 50 – 55 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash

• ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

• 6 – 8 cooked meatballs, homemade or store-bought (approx. 360g) (See Notes below)

• 330mL Arrabbiata pasta sauce, homemade or store-bought (See Notes below)

• ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (See Notes below)

• 10 fresh basil leaves (optional) 

  
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Rinse the squash, pat it dry and place it on a cutting board. Trim off the stem and root end to create a flat base. Cut the spaghetti squash in half widthwise and scoop out and discard any seeds.

3. Place the spaghetti squash halves cut side up onto the parchment-lined baking pan. Brush them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Flip the spaghetti squash over, positioning the halves cut side down on the baking pan, and bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until fork tender.

5. While the squash is roasting, to a medium saucepan or pot set over medium-low heat, add the cooked meatballs and Arrabbiata pasta sauce. Cover and cook for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.

6. Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven. Carefully flip over each of the halves and set them aside for at least 10 minutes to slightly cool.

7. Once they are cool enough to handle, use a fork to rake the inside of each of the squash halves to form the spaghetti.

8. Ladle the meatballs and sauce into each of the squash halves and top with Pecorino Romano and fresh basil leaves. Serve and enjoy!

   
   

Notes:

1. It’s Raining Meatballs: Meatballs come in all shapes, sizes and flavours! Beef and pork meatballs are my go-to, but chicken, turkey or plant-based meatballs all work beautifully in this dish. Homemade or store-bought, pre-cooked meatballs are a game changer and keep this recipe quick and easy!  

2. Arrabbiata Sauce: Some like it spicy! I love using Rao’s Arrabbiata Sauce in this recipe! If you tend to shy away from heat and prefer a milder bite, simply substitute the Arrabbiata sauce with your favourite homemade or store-bought pasta sauce.

3. Fresh is where it’s at: Nothing quite compares to freshly grated Pecorino Romano! It’s rich, nutty and too savoury for words. At your local grocer, you’ll find pre-grated Pecorino and the shelf-stable varieties but, I highly recommend buying a piece of fresh Pecorino and doing the grating on your own. It makes a world of difference. Once you try freshly grated, you’ll never go back!