PIZZA SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOATS
Are you meal prepping this weekend? Why not try these gluten-free, dairy-free Pizza Spaghetti Squash Boats? Personally, I find meal prepping so key for eating healthy with my crazy busy life! As a business owner with three kids at home (aged 7 months, 2 years, and 5 years), I don’t always have time to cook dinner. It’s so nice to be able to throw something in the microwave between the gym and bath time.
Did you know? The majority of studies show that microwaving food does not destroy more nutrients than other methods of cooking food (boiling, frying, baking). Furthermore, even though microwaves use radiation to heat your food, it’s not the type of harmful radiation you might associate with atomic bombs or nuclear fall-out (source). After all, even sunlight is a form of radiation!
Choosing the right spaghetti squash
Anyway, back to these Pizza Spaghetti Squash Boats 😉 I used the smallest spaghetti squashes I could find, about two pounds each. I’ve read that a four pound squash yields 5-6 cups of cooked strands, so a two pound squash should give you about three cups. I calculated the nutrition facts assuming one and a half cups of cooked spaghetti squash strands per serving.
How to cook perfect spaghetti squash
My favorite way to cook a spaghetti squash is to cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and bake it cut size down at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30-35 minutes until the shell is easily pierced with a fork. I never use any oil or salt, especially if I plan on stuffing them (which I almost always do). You can also microwave a single half for about 10 minutes with half an inch of water.
The meaty marinara filling
For the filling, I used raw lean Italian chicken sausage from Sprout’s. You can also buy Isernio’s at Kroger stores, but it has a bit more sodium. Wegman’s also has a good lean Italian chicken sausage. Just make sure it’s raw not pre-cooked! If using link sausage, you can easily squeeze out the ground sausage and brown it in the pan.
The pizza toppings
I also added some chopped natural pepperoni, bell pepper, red onion, and black olives. All over top a layer of organic pizza sauce and dairy-free mozzarella (of course, you can use dairy cheese)!
Here is the printable recipe for these Pizza Spaghetti Squash Boats. I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try them 🙂
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Pizza Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients
- 3 small (2 lb. each) spaghetti squash yields ~9 cups cooked
- 24 oz. lean Italian chicken sausage raw
- 3 cups pizza sauce
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese I used dairy free
- 3/4 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 3/4 cup red onion chopped
- 3 oz. natural pepperoni
- 6 tbsp. black olives sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash outside of each squash then cut in half lengthwise, scooping out seeds.
- Lay squash halves cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until shell is pierced easily with a fork.
- Meanwhile, brown chicken sausage in a skillet (if using link sausage, squeeze ground sausage out of casings), breaking up with a spatula.
- Remove squash from oven and let cool. Once squash is cool enough to handle, loosen strands inside using a fork and pour half a cup of pizza sauce into each half.
- Top each half with 1/4 cup of mozzarella, 3 oz. cooked sausage, 2 tbsp. each bell pepper and onion, half an ounce of pepperoni, and 1 tbsp. sliced black olives.
- Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese melts. Enjoy!
- Leftover squash can be wrapped with cling wrap and stored in the fridge up to one week.
Notes
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