Description
Seasonal roasted garlic spaghetti squash boats filled with a spicy Italian chicken sausage ragu and a creamy ricotta-provolone béchamel sauce, baked to golden perfection for a low-carb, comforting lasagna alternative.
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Meat Sauce
- ¾ lb ground spicy Italian chicken sausage or ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup water
Squash and Cheese Filling
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
- ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
- ¼ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ⅛ tsp grated fresh nutmeg
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 ½ cups shredded fontina cheese or mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded provolone cheese, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to season
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Fried sage leaves
Instructions
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice off the top of the garlic head to expose cloves. Place on foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly. Roast for 20 minutes until cloves are tender and lightly browned. Let cool, then squeeze and mash the garlic into a bowl with a fork.
- Prepare the Meat Sauce: Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat until shimmering. Add chicken sausage and brown for 5-8 minutes. Add chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add crushed tomatoes, 1 cup water, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf and stir in roasted garlic. Adjust seasoning afterwards.
- Prepare the Squash: Poke holes in spaghetti squash with a fork and microwave on a plate for 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard seeds.
- Make the Cheese Mixture: In a bowl, combine milk or cream, ricotta cheese, nutmeg, chopped basil, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1 cup fontina cheese and ½ cup provolone cheese until well mixed.
- Assemble the Boats: Place spaghetti squash halves cut-side up in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup fontina cheese in the bottom of each squash. Divide meat sauce evenly into squash cavities. Spoon the cheese mixture over the meat sauce. Top with remaining ½ cup provolone cheese. Cover loosely with foil.
- Bake: Bake covered at 425°F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until squash is tender and cheese is golden brown. Expect some liquid; this is normal.
- Serve: Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the squash into strands, mixing with meat and cheese. Garnish with fresh thyme and fried sage leaves if desired and serve warm.
Notes
- Microwaving the squash before baking softens it and reduces cooking time.
- You can substitute ground chicken sausage with ground turkey or pork for variation.
- Fresh basil adds bright herbal notes; try substituting with fresh oregano or parsley.
- If you do not have San Marzano tomatoes, use any good-quality crushed tomatoes.
- Sage leaves, when fried, add a crispy aromatic garnish but are optional.
- This dish can be prepared ahead up to assembly and refrigerated before baking.
