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These Cheesy Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Boats stuffed with a rich, slow simmered meaty Bolognese sauce, herbs and lots of cheesy mozzarella goodness. These roasted spaghetti squash boats are an easy and delicious dinner for any day of the week!
Interrupting your Friday evening with the easiest and most delicious weeknight dinner- perfect on a cold, autumn or winter evening.
Spaghetti Squash. Bolognese Sauce. Cheesy Mozzarella. Does it get much better?!
I seriously can’t believe we are nearing the end of October. With all the end of month festivities this easy, hearty and healthy-ish dinner is the perfect one to make this week! If you missed our spooky Mirkwood’s Enchanted Forest Cocktail , be sure to give it a try. It’s so perfect for spooky season and absolutely delicious! Plus, it just looks so, so awesome. Pair it with these amazing Cheesy Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Boats for the perfect fall inspire dinner that will surely impress your dinner guests! And of course, if you’re looking for the best and easy Halloween inspired dessert, these fun Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are so perfect and just scream Halloween time.
How has everyone’s fall been?!
Here in Northern Nevada it has been cold! We have already had a few days of snow flurries which is pretty early for our region. Monday was the perfect stormy weather day- we took a break from homeschooling to enjoy the coziness and made cookies, played music and lit our favorite fall candles. It was pretty perfect; but all this snowy weather is getting me in the mood for Christmas! And for the most wonderful time of the year, I’m dreaming up some exciting recipes to share with you all that will be so fun and festive! So keep an eye out for all the deliciousness coming your way in the coming months.
Pretty soon we will be putting Christmas vinyls on the record player, sipping dark cocoa and making a huge mess in the kitchen developing all the Christmas goodness to share with you all. But until then, I have quite a few autumn inspired recipes (think sweets and dinner go-to’s) to get posted before it’s officially Christmas time, and these Cheesy Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Boats are seriously perfect and a great way to welcome the end of October and Beginning of November.
So let’s get to some of the details!
Cheesy Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Boat Details:
Roasted spaghetti squash boats filled with a slow simmered rustic style bolognese sauce; topped with lots of cheesy goodness. The perfect substitute for pasta, spaghetti squash ‘noodles’ are mild in flavor, have a similar texture to angel hair pasta and can be used in any pasta dish! Perfect for a low carb, vegetable based dinner that is both delicious and satisfying.
Here is what you will need to make these roasted spaghetti squash boats:
- one large baking pan
- parchment paper
- a sharp kitchen knife
- 1 large spaghetti squash (about 5-6 lb.s)
- olive oil
- ground beef
- tomato paste
- garlic
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- red pepper flakes
- 1 jar good quality marinara sauce
- red wine
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash:
Roast spaghetti squash is so easy and the possibilities for fillings are endless! This is the perfect go-to roasted spaghetti squash recipe that you can use time and time again to your liking.
Start by carefully splitting the spaghetti squash in half. This part can be a bit tricky, but with the right tools, a little bit of patience and caution, it’s not as intimidating as it may seem. Before attempting to split the squash, make sure you are using a very sharp chef’s knife. Cut off the hard tip and bottom of the spaghetti squash. Stand the squash upright on a stable surface and carefully slice through it from top to bottom. Once divided in half remove the seeds, or set aside for roasting your own cinnamon maple spaghetti squash seeds. Yum.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and oil the insides of the squash with olive oil. Season liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place the squash flesh side down and roast for 40 minutes. While the squash is roasting, start on the bolognese sauce.
Bolognese Sauce:
In a large skillet melt the butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often for 8 minutes or until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Next, add the ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the beef begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Next add the tomato paste and all the seasonings. Turn the heat up to high to ‘toast’ the tomato paste, cooking for one minute until fragrant. Add the marinara sauce and red wine. Turn the heat down to low and allow to gently simmer for 30 minutes while the squash is roasting.
Adjust any salt, pepper or seasoning to taste. When the squash has finished roasting and the bolognese has simmered for half an hour, it’s time to assemble!
Assembling Cheesy Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Boats:
Divide the bolognese sauce between both spaghetti squash boats and top with all that delicious mozzarella cheese. Using the same baking sheet lined with parchment paper for roasting the squash, place both spaghetti squash boats side by side upright and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the mozzarella begins to bubble and brown.
To serve, spoon out desired portions of bolognese sauce and use a fork to dig up the spaghetti squash ‘noodles’ from the squash. Top with fresh ground pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!
And that’s it! So easy, right?!
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This week, be on the look out for an amazing apple inspired breakfast (or dessert?) that is a total showstopper. You definitely wont want to miss it! Plus, our very first Thanksgiving Menu Holiday Guide will be featured next month, which will be your one stop post for making Thanksgiving the most delicious one yet.
I hope you all have an amazing, cozy week! 🙂
Recipe
Cheesy Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Boats
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash, halved (about 5-6 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 24 ounce jar of good quality marinara sauce
- ¼ cup red wine
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella
- salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Carefully split the spaghetti squash in half from top to bottom. See notes above for tips and tricks. Remove the seeds. Oil the insides of the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season generously with salt, pepper and the ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Place the squash flesh side down on the baking try and roast for 40-45 minutes. While the squash is roasting start on the bolognese sauce.
- In a large skillet melt the butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often for 8 minutes or until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Next, add the ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the beef begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
- Once the ground beef has browned add the tomato paste, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to high to 'toast' the tomato paste and herbs, cooking for one minute until fragrant. Turn the heat back down to low and add the marinara sauce and red wine. Gently simmer for 30 minutes stirring often. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Decrease oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
- When the squash and bolognese sauce are ready, on the same parchment lined baking sheet used for roasting the squash, dived the sauce between both spaghetti squash boats and top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the mozzarella begins to bubble and brown.
- To serve, use a fork to dig up the spaghetti squash 'noodles' from the flesh of the squash, then spoon the desired amount of bolognese sauce to serve. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and ground pepper. ENJOY!
Perfect fall recipe! A boat-load of yummyness!
All the cheesy, fall goodness!