Spaghetti Squash Boats (With Veggie Turkey Meat Sauce)
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These Spaghetti Squash Boats (With Roasted Veggie Turkey Meat Sauce) make for one incredible meal. The sauce is made with ground turkey and fresh veggies such as tomatoes, mushrooms. zucchini and fresh basil. Served in roasted spaghetti squash boats. This is a fantastic low-carb dish that is so fresh and so tasty.
Spaghetti Squash Boats (With Veggie Turkey Meat Sauce)
Spaghetti Squash is one of my top go to winter squash. I love the way it tastes before even adding any other ingredients to it. It’s one of those vegetables (or should I say fruit since technically it is a fruit) that you can just eat with a bit of olive oil and a fork. Making Spaghetti Squash Noodles is so easy and they are so tasty!
The taste is not the only thing that makes this squash one of my favorites. I also love how versatile it is and how you can use it to replace noodles for a low-carb meal. This also adds more nutrition to your foods as it is rich in antioxidants, and vitamins A, C and B group.
Today’s recipe for Spaghetti Squash Boats (With Veggie Turkey Meat Sauce) is a great mix of flavors, nutrition, complete balanced meal, and elegance! While spaghetti squash is the star of this recipe, this homemade meat sauce just packs so much goodness it certainly completes this dish.
This homemade meat sauce starts with a load of fresh veggies, herbs and spices that are roasted to bring out their rich flavors. Then added to ground turkey for some protein and more deliciousness. It all comes together once you add this scrumptious meat sauce to your spaghetti squash making these elegant boats. Seriously everyone will be talking about these cute boats for a long time!
These Spaghetti Squash Boats are perfect for a dinner party, holiday party or even a regular weeknight meal you can WOW your family with. It is pretty easy to make and even if you don’t serve them in the boats and just scrape out the squash; it will still be just as delicious. Perfect recipe to add to your meal plan and prepping this weekend! Give these a try asap!
Ingredients needed to make Spaghetti Squash Boats:
- Spaghetti Squash– Small-Medium sized.
- For Spaghetti Squash– Olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pink salt and black pepper.
- For Sauce– Olive oil, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, yellow onion, fresh basil, garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, black pepper, and pink sea salt.
- Ground Turkey– I like using ground turkey that is 93% lean and 7% fat. It gets so flavorful and doesn’t come out dry.
- For Ground Turkey– Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pink sea salt, and black pepper.
Equipment needed to make Equipment needed to make:
- Large Baking Sheet Pan– To cook spaghetti squash boats on.
- Large Cast Iron Skillet– For brining turkey and making sauce.
- Parchment Paper– For lining baking sheet pan.
How to make your Spaghetti Squash Boats:
For Spaghetti Squash:
- Step 1– Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
- Step 2– Slice both spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop the insides out cleaning up the squash. Discard the insides. In a small mixing bowl combine the spices and herbs for the squash. Spread oil and rub on the insides of the squash. Sprinkle mixed spices and herbs on squash insides and rub throuroughly making sure the squash are well coated.
- Step 3– Align a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and place all 4 squash sides facing down with the skin facing up. Bake for 25 minutes.
For Turkey Meat Sauce:
- Step 1– While squash are roasting, prep veggies for sauce; Dice tomatoes, zucchini, and onion. Slice mushrooms and basil, and mince garlic. Set prepped veggies to the side.
- Step 2– On a large cast iron skillet, heat olive oil for turkey on medium-high heat on stovetop. Toss ground turkey into heated skillet and start to brown. Drizzle apple cider vinegar, sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian seasoning over turkey while it cooks and stir well. Use a spatula to work through the ground turkey and make sure there are no large clumps. Turkey will take about 7-8 minutes to brown.
- Step 3– Remove browned turkey from skillet and set it aside. Wipe skillet with a damp paper towel to clean. Place skillet back on stovetop and drizzle with oil for sauce. Bring to a heat once again on medium-high heat. Toss in onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Toss in zucchini and mushrooms and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes until zucchinis start to soften and mushrooms start to brown. Stir in tomatoes and sprinke basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until tomatoes release juices and are cooked down. About 4-6 minutes. Don’t overcook so that sauce doesn’t dry up. Add browned turkey with sauce and stir well making sure the turkey and the sauce are combined together.
Assembling Boats:
- Step 1– Remove spaghetti squash from the oven and allow it to cool down for a bit until it can be handled. Keep oven on at 350 degrees F. Use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash and get the noodles off the skin. Do it firmly but gently so that the skin doesn’t break. You want to leave the spaghetti in there and use the skin as bowls. Move the noodles to the sides of the boats making some space in the middle. Take some of the sauce (about 1/4 cup) and pour into the boats over the noodles. Take a second scoop and repeat. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread sauce in the boats to even it out. Repeat with the other three boats.
- Step 2– Place boats on baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake again for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove boats from the oven and garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Enjoy!
Tips and Substitutions:
- Make sure to line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- This will prevent squash from sticking to pan and will make cleaning it much easier later.
- Switch up your turkey for other protein- ground chicken or ground beef make for good substitutes.
- Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar- The acid in the acv helps decrease that turkey after taste and rather gives it better flavor. If you don’t have any acv you can use lemon juice or rice vinegar as substitutes.
- Scrape the inside of the squash firmly but gently- You don’t want the skin of the squash to break. The skin serves as the bowls in this recipe.
- Switch up the veggies in this recipe- You can substitute the veggies in this recipe for eggplant, baby spinach, carrots, kale, asparagus, etc.
- Don’t overcook the sauce so it doesn’t dry up- Keep in mind that it will go in the oven once it’s added to the squash and this will dry it up a bit too.
How to serve Spaghetti Squash Boats:
These spaghetti squash boats with veggie turkey meat sauce make for a wholesome and complete meal all on their own. You can serve them right in the boats or remove everything and make individual or smaller portions on plates. They are loaded with protein, veggies, complex-carbs, and fiber. You can certainly serve them with a side of garlic bread and a big green salad.
Variations:
- Use other protein– You can use ground chicken or ground beef to make these.
- Make it vegetarian– Skip the ground turkey and add more veggies or even tofu.
- Use store-bought sauce– To make it easier and cut-down on prep time, you can certainly use jarred tomato sauce. Add it to the veggies and ground turkey.
- Make it cheesy– Sprinkle some shredded mozzarella over it for a cheesy option.
Spaghetti Squash Boats FAQ’s:
How do you cut a spaghetti squash?
For these spaghettis squash boats you want to cut your squash in half lengthwise. I liked to the ends off so I can get a better grip as I cut it down the middle. Then remove the insides including the seeds. That’s it! Now you can season and cook your spaghetti squash to get the “noodles” out.
How do you keep spaghetti squash from getting soggy?
If your spaghetti squash is top soggy is because it is overcooked. Overcooking spaghetti squash results in too much moisture being released. Which causes it to get soggy.
Why is my baked spaghetti squash watery?
If your spaghetti squash is top watery is because it has too much moisture. This is a result of the squash being overcooked. You can remove the “noodles” forms he squash and sauté them on a pan or skillet on high for a few minutes. This will get rid of some of that moisture and excess water.
Meal prepping it:
This is one of my top go-to meal for meal prepping. These are great too for make-ahead lunches and/or dinners. Prep your spaghetti squash boats ahead of time. Cover with saran wrap or place in a large air-tight container. Make the meat sauce ahead of time too. Store in the fridge and once you’re ready to serve, put together with the prepped squash. Done and ready to eat!
Storing and Reheating:
Remove meat sauce and spaghetti squash “noodles” from he skin. Place everything in an airtight container. Keep them refrigerated for up to 4-5 days. You can reheat in the microwave.
Can Spaghetti Squash Boats be frozen?
You an certainly freeze these, however I recommend freezing everything separately. Cook your spaghetti squash and remove the “noodles”. Allow them to cool down then place in a freezer friendly container. Keep spaghetti squash noodles frozen for up to 3-6 months. Do the same with your turkey meat sauce. Allow it to complete cool-off then transfer to a freezer friendly container. Keep it frozen for up to 3-4 months. Thaw everything out in the fridge and reheat when ready to serve.
Did you like this Spaghetti Squash Boats recipe? You may also like these other recipes:
- Singapore Spaghetti Squash Noodles
- Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs (Gluten-Free)
- Veggie Loaded Homemade Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti Squash Boats (With Veggie Turkey Meat Sauce)
These Spaghetti Squash Boats (With Roasted Veggie Turkey Meat Sauce) make for one incredible meal. The sauce is made with ground turkey and fresh veggies such as tomatoes, mushrooms. zucchini and fresh basil. Served in roasted spaghetti squash boats. This is a fantastic low-carb dish that is so fresh and so tasty.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 6 tomatoes
- 1 large zucchini
- 10 crimini mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp pink sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Ground Turkey
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp pink sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Spaghetti Squash
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp pink sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
For Spaghetti Squash:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
Slice both spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop the insides out cleaning up the squash. Discard the insides. In a small mixing bowl combine the spices and herbs for the squash. Spread oil and rub on the insides of the squash. Sprinkle mixed spices and herbs on squash insides and rub throuroughly making sure the squash are well coated.
Align a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and place all 4 squash sides facing down with the skin facing up. Bake for 25 minutes.
For Turkey Meat Sauce:
While squash are roasting, prep veggies for sauce; Dice tomatoes, zucchini, and onion. Slice mushrooms and basil, and mince garlic. Set prepped veggies to the side.
On a large cast iron skillet, heat olive oil for turkey on medium-high heat on stovetop. Toss ground turkey into heated skillet and start to brown. Drizzle apple cider vinegar, sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian seasoning over turkey while it cooks and stir well. Use a spatula to work through the ground turkey and make sure there are no large clumps. Turkey will take about 7-8 minutes to brown.
Remove browned turkey from skillet and set it aside. Wipe skillet with a damp paper towel to clean. Place skillet back on stovetop and drizzle with oil for sauce. Bring to a heat once again on medium-high heat. Toss in onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Toss in zucchini and mushrooms and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes until zucchinis start to soften and mushrooms start to brown. Stir in tomatoes and sprinke basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until tomatoes release juices and are cooked down. About 4-6 minutes. Don't overcook so that sauce doesn't dry up. Add browned turkey with sauce and stir well making sure the turkey and the sauce are combined together.
Putting Boats Together:
Remove spaghetti squash from the oven and allow it to cool down for a bit until it can be handled. Keep oven on at 350 degrees F. Use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash and get the noodles off the skin. Do it firmly but gently so that the skin doesn't break. You want to leave the spaghetti in there and use the skin as bowls. Move the noodles to the sides of the boats making some space in the middle. Take some of the sauce (about 1/4 cup) and pour into the boats over the noodles. Take a second scoop and repeat. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread sauce in the boats to even it out. Repeat with the other three boats.
Place boats on baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake again for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove boats from the oven and garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions:
- Make sure to line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- This will prevent squash from sticking to pan and will make cleaning it much easier later.
- Switch up your turkey for other protein- ground chicken or ground beef make for good substitutes.
- Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar- The acid in the acv helps decrease that turkey after taste and rather gives it better flavor. If you don’t have any acv you can use lemon juice or rice vinegar as substitutes.
- Scrape the inside of the squash firmly but gently- You don’t want the skin of the squash to break. The skin serves as the bowls in this recipe.
- Switch up the veggies in this recipe- You can substitute the veggies in this recipe for eggplant, baby spinach, carrots, kale, asparagus, etc.
- Don’t overcook the sauce so it doesn’t dry up- Keep in mind that it will go in the oven once it’s added to the squash and this will dry it up a bit too.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
**Photos and Recipe updated as of 12/8/2020
*Post updated as of 3/11/2020
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