Textual Chef Textual Chef

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Sauce

Roasted spaghetti squash strands tossed with a hearty ground turkey and tomato meat sauce seasoned with Italian herbs. A satisfying grain-free swap that the whole family will love.

60 minMediumServes 4380 cal/serving

Italian-AmericanDinnerStovetop and OvenPaleoHigh ProteinGluten-FreeDairy-FreeNut-FreeEgg-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Ingredients

  • 1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place 1 large halved lengthwise, seeded spaghetti squash cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with half the 2 tbsp olive oil and season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Flip cut-side down and roast 35-40 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.

  2. 2

    Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion and cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more.

  3. 3

    Add 1 lb lean ground turkey and cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F (74°C), about 6-8 minutes.

  4. 4

    Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add 2 cans crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and remaining salt. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  5. 5

    Remove spaghetti squash from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the flesh into noodle-like strands.

  6. 6

    Divide spaghetti squash strands among bowls, top with meat sauce, and garnish with 2 tbsp torn fresh basil leaves.

Questions

How long does Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Sauce keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat covered in a 300 F oven until warmed through.

Can I halve or double Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Sauce?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,504 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Italian-American entries

All Italian-American recipes · All Dinner recipes