Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole is an easy, low carb, pasta-like dish that everyone will absolutely love. Cooked spaghetti squash is combined with a quick meat sauce, topped with cheese and baked until golden and bubbly.
Serve this easy dinner alongside a simple caesar salad and crusty bread with Homemade Garlic Butter for the perfect weeknight meal!
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
This low carb spaghetti squash casserole recipe features delicious strands of spaghetti squash (in place of pasta) baked with a quick and flavorful homemade meat sauce. The casserole is topped with cheese and baked until bubbly!
We love to make casseroles during the week! From an Easy Tuna Casserole to unstuffed cabbage roll casserole, they’re an easy versatile meal!
Eating healthier doesn’t mean you need to spend more time or money in the kitchen! This baked spaghetti squash casserole is ready in about 35 minutes, making it the perfect quick dish. We love serving it with a simple side salad as well as some easy dinner rolls to sop up the leftover meat sauce at the end. YUM!
How To Make Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash is an amazing veggie, a tender squash with strands that resemble everyone’s favorite pasta! The flavor is slightly sweet but not sweet like butternut squash or acorn squash.
Spaghetti Squash can be cooked in the microwave or you can make baked Spaghetti Squash in the oven. Once baked you can run a fork along the squash to create noodle-like strands perfect for soups, stews and of course casseroles like this one!
How to Cut Spaghetti Squash: Spaghetti squash is a very tough squash so I’d recommend poking it with a fork (like you would a baked potato) and microwaving it 3-5 minutes. This will soften the exterior enough for cutting. Cut lengthwise tip to tip and scoop out any seeds before cooking.
How To Make Squash Casserole
This spaghetti squash casserole is a lower carb take on our favorite Baked Spaghetti recipe! It’s easy to make, can be prepped ahead of time and has just a few simple steps:
- Prepare the squash until al dente (roast it, microwave it, it’s up to you)
- Prepare the meat sauce in a saucepan
- Mix everything together in a casserole dish and top with cheese
- Bake until for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is warm and bubbly
Serve and enjoy, so easy!
Can You Freeze Spaghetti Squash Casserole
You bet! This baked casserole freezes amazingly. Just freeze it covered or in a plastic container for up to 3 months.
To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge and pop it back in the oven until heated through.
If you’re storing it in glass, make sure you allow the glass to come to room temperature before it goes in the oven. Glass can easily shatter if the temperature is changed too quickly.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole – Favorite!
- Greek Spaghetti Squash
- Low Carb Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
- The Best Homemade Pasta Sauce – Great over spaghetti squash or Zucchini Noodles
- Baked Rigatoni Pasta
- Skinny Chicken Alfredo – So good and creamy!
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash cooked
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes canned
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup marinara sauce or pasta sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook squash until tender *see note. Once cooked, use a fork to scrape the strands of spaghetti squash. Remove strands and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a medium saucepan, cook ground beef, onion and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, pasta sauce and seasoning. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in squash. Place in a casserole dish (or back into the squash halves) and top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This casserole was absolutely delicious! I did make one small change, instead of regular diced tomatoes, I used Mexican diced tomatoes with green chilis. Loved the taste!
I tried this recipe tonight. It was delicious! My son loved it. I would have taken a picture, but it didn’t last long. It will go into my rotation for sure. Thank you.
Hi Holly
So sorry to say we hated this dish. We eat plenty of spaghetti squash topped with sauce and cheese and love it. There is nothing wrong with this recipe but we didn’t like the texture or taste layed out in a casserole, very mushy and watery. A personal preference only, as I enjoy all of your recipes. My dog gobbled it up so at least it didn’t go to waste.
Again so sad it was a disaster.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear you didn’t love this dish as much as we do Sami. Thank you for trying it.
I have a bunch of spaghetti squash from my garden and was looking for a new way to use it. I put ‘ground beef and spaghetti squash’ into google and your recipe showed up. I made this tonight and it was wonderful! To me, it tasted a little like Sloppy Joes. Great recipe I will keep on hand.!
Thanks for replying!
How many lbs of spaghetti squash for this recipe? I have one but its huge and don’t want to water it down on accident since I plan on making one for now and one to freeze!
The squash I use is about 3-4lbs. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe; this was delicious. Just a note for anyone wondering… I used the whole 24oz jar of pasta sauce and omitted the tomatoes and tomato paste, and used two medium size squash, and it turned out perfectly.
This is one of my go-to recipes! Thank you!
I only use half a spaghetti squash whenever I make it, and I never have tomato paste or marinara sauce, but I sub with pasta sauce. And of course, we use ground turkey so it’s extra healthy and low-fat.
Thank you!
This is hands down my favorite way to eat spaghetti squash. We subbed lentils and a tiny amount of impossible burger for the ground beef.
Your version sounds delicious Monica!
I made your spaghetti squash recipe and it was good, but mine did look like the picture you posted. The squash didn’t stand out in the dish & didn’t look as big. It was kinda hid in the sauce, although I used a large squash. It was also watery. What could I have done wrong in the recipe. I want to make it again. I love all your recipes.
What is the serving size?
Each serving is approximately 2 cups.
I made this for dinner last Wednesday and it was delicious! I’m pretty sure it’s my new favorite way to eat spaghetti squash! :)
This was amazing! My husband raved about and asked me to make it again two days later :)
That is so great, Imsen! We are happy to hear they loved it as much as we do!
We are vegetarian and substituted Morningstar crumbles instead of the ground beef! so great! The kids even ate it!
So glad this recipe turned out for you, Mal! Thanks for sharing your substitutions.
Looks so good I want to try this.
Made this last night, and I couldn’t stop eating it!! I substituted hot sausage for the ground beef and added a green bell pepper. Kept everything else the same. What an easy, flavorful dish! Will definitely be making this one again!!
Sounds delicious Amy!
Used ground turkey and added half a red bell pepper, with a dash of red pepper flakes. I had a very large squash so couldn’t fit it in pan with meat. IN a 13×9” pan, I layered squash, ricotta and the meat sauce, then topped with cheese and baked. Delicious!!
Used ground chicken instead of beef and also put ricotta on top before adding mozzarella. My husband loved it.
Do you know what calorie count would be if using ground turkey instead of beef? Husband can’t eat beef. Thanks.
The calories would be reduced by approximately 30 calories per serving. Enjoy the recipe Sue!
My family loves this receipe. Even my picky no veggie kid goes back for seconds and thirds. Lol. We never have any leftovers to refrigerate. It is a forgiving receipe.
How long can this be store in fridge after baked?
It can be safely refrigerated for about 3 or 4 days.
Incredible! Added chopped red and green peppers! Used 100% ground sirloin, so healthy and so delicious. Winner in my hubby’s eyes! Picture perfect with chopped parsley on top after browning cheese in broiler. Wish I could post a picture!!!
Sounds perfect Natalie!