Italian Caprese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
The following recipe, video and photography were provided by our partner, Alissa DiSanto of Sauced By Sunday.
When you’re craving the taste of spaghetti without the weight of traditional noodles, use a spaghetti squash!
Roasted and shredded to resemble angel hair pasta and tossed with savory Italian sausage, mozzarella, fresh basil and balsamic glaze, this low-carb combination of spaghetti and caprese is the ultimate Italian fall dinner!
Italian Caprese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Cook time: 45min Prep time: 15min Total time: 60min
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 spaghetti squash, halved
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage (mild, medium or hot)
- 1 8 oz. package of BelGioioso mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 12 oz. package of NatureFresh cherry tomatoes on-the-vine, halved
- 5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 10 basil leaves, chiffonade, plus 4 for garnish
- Salt and pepper
- Heinen’s balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Poke a few holes in the spaghetti squash with a fork and microwave for 3 minutes. Allow to rest until cool enough to touch. Slice in half.
- Drizzle both sides of the squash with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn each squash half flesh-side-down on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400˚F for 30 minutes. This will ensure that the liquid in the squash drains out.
- While the squash is baking, prepare the ground sausage. In a large skillet, add 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and preheat over medium-high heat. Once the pan and oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 7-8 minutes, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- While the sausage is browning, slice the tomatoes in half, shred the mozzarella cheese and chop the basil into ribbons. Set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan, discarding of any excess grease onto a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
- Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven after 30 minutes. With a fork, carefully remove the seeds. Removing the seeds after baking is much easier than removing them prior to cooking.
- Shred with a fork until the flesh of the squash resembles angel hair pasta. Toss each half of squash threads in 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the cooked ground sausage, shredded cheese, basil and halved tomatoes between the four shredded squash halves.
- Bake for an additional 12 minutes at 400˚F or until the cheese is melted and the squash is golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and garnish with additional basil and a drizzle of the balsamic glaze.
Notes
- You may also transfer the entire flesh of the squash and toppings into a bowl for a more composed dish to impress friends or family.
- For a side dish, simply omit the sausage, cut the squash into quarters and serve with your favorite protein.
- For vegetarians, simply omit the meat.
