Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Spaghetti squash finally achieves main dish status

By
Liv Dansky
Liv Dansky
Liv Dansky is a Recipe Tester and Developer in the Dotdash Meredith Test Kitchens. Her recipes have been published in Real Simple, Southern Living, Food & Wine, and Eating Well, among other publications.
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Updated on 02/13/24
A spaghetti squash and ground beef casserole with a serving removed

The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 65 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 (13 x 9-inch) casserole

Spaghetti squash is usually relegated to side dish status on the dinner table. Steamed, roasted, or microwaved, it might be tossed with butter or olive oil and maybe some garlic. There’s nothing wrong with treating this curious squash so simply, but it’s not exactly the kind of dish that makes you crave seconds.

This casserole is out to challenge what you think you know about cooking with spaghetti squash. Rather than treating it minimally, it gives the squash center stage, layering it with a flavorful but simple tomato and ground beef sauce. There are plenty of ways to streamline the process, from baking the squash ahead of time to microwaving it to using a store-bought sauce, which makes this dish all the more appealing for a weeknight dinner.

What’s the Deal With Spaghetti Squash?

Spaghetti squash is a bit of an oddball in the squash world. On the outside, its color varies from offwhite to pale yellow, yielding to a buttery yellow inside. The oblong squash doesn’t look like much either whole or halved, but once cooked its flesh pulls apart into spaghetti-like strands, giving it its name.

While many recipes instruct you to halve the squash lengthwise, we cut our squash into rings for a couple reasons: one, it helps the squash cook faster. Two, spaghetti squash’s strands actually run around the circumference of the squash, not lengthwise up and down. Therefore, cutting the squash into rings will yield longer squash strands. But if neither of these things is important to you, feel free to cut the squash in half lengthwise. The recipe will still work just fine.

How To Make Spaghetti Squash Actually Taste Good

The main dilemma with spaghetti squash is that it has a very mild flavor. This is both a blessing and a curse. It means that the squash will readily take on any flavors you add and fade into the background, providing mostly texture and, of course, a serving or two of veggies. On the other hand, it means that this vegetable is highly reliant on flavorful additions to make it taste like anything.

Here, we pair the squash with a deeply flavorful sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and ground beef and a sprinkling of cheese for a casserole reminiscent of your favorite ground beef pasta casserole but with squash standing in for pasta. There are so many ways you can personalize the dish, using Italian sausage instead of beef, adding Italian seasoning, or going in a completely different direction with turkey sausage and pesto.

How To Prepare Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This dish starts with roasting the spaghetti squash until tender. You can make the sauce from start to finish while the squash is in the oven. After that, it’s just a matter of shredding the squash, mixing it with the sauce, and baking the whole shebang topped with cheese in a casserole dish.

Tips for Making Spaghetti Squash Casserole

  • Cut the squash carefully—When cutting the squash into rings, use a kitchen towel to hold the squash steady and prevent slipping. Use a large, sharp knife.
  • Why rings are better than halves—Cutting the squash into rings instead of in half allows it to cook more quickly. Also, the squash strands actually run in a circle around the vegetable, not lengthwise, so you’ll get longer “noodles” this way.
  • Use lean ground beef—Leaner beef cooks gently in the sauce and doesn’t dry out or to make it greasy. 

Serving Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Spaghetti squash casserole is excellent served with any of the trappings of an Italian dinner. A simple green salad with a lemony dressing goes well alongside, and garlic bread is never out of place.

Make Ahead

  • You can roast the squash up to 1 day in advance and shred it before incorporating it into the sauce. You can also make the sauce up to 1 day in advance. 
  • To save time, you can even use your favorite store-bought sauce and add the meat and vegetables to it.

"This is a really satisfying and flavorful casserole and a great way to get in some extra veggies. I was never a huge fan of spaghetti squash, but this approach adds a ton of flavor and really makes it a meal." —The Spruce Eats Test Kitchen

Spaghetti squash casserole in a glass 13 x 9-inch baking dish; topped with melted cheese and garnished with torn fresh basil leaves
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 medium (about 2 pounds each) spaghetti squash, cut crosswise into 2-inch thick rounds

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, divided

  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

  • 1 pound 90/10 lean ground beef

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella

  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

  • Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Ingredients to make a spaghetti squash and ground beef casserole

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  2. Scoop the seeds out of the squash rings and arrange the rings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides of the rings evenly with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon fine salt. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes.

    A parchment paper-lined baking sheet with six rings of cooked spaghetti squash

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  3. While the squash roasts, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add 6 garlic cloves, chopped and 1 large yellow onion, chopped. Cook, stirring often, until tender and aromatic, about 8 minutes. 

    A dutch oven with chopped onion and garlic cooking in olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  4. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in 1 pound 90/10 lean ground beef. Cook, stirring often and using the back of a spoon to break up the meat, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. 

    A dutch oven with cooked ground beef, onions, and garlic

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  5. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is well-browned and forms a dark layer on the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. 

    A dutch oven with tomato paste, cooked ground beef, chopped onion, and garlic

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  6. Stir in 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (if using), 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Use the back of the spoon to break the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the liquid reduces and thickens, 20 to 25 minutes.

    A dutch oven with crushed canned Roma tomatoes, oregano, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper added to the tomato paste-ground beef mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  7. Remove the squash from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F. Using a fork, pull the squash into noodle-like strands and discard the skins. You should have about 5 cups of squash. 

    A parchment paper-lined baking sheet with strands of cooked spaghetti squash with a fork

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  8. Add the squash to the sauce and stir to coat.

    A dutch oven with cooked spaghetti squash added to the tomato-ground beef mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  9. Transfer the squash mixture to an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella and 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan. 

    A baking dish with with spaghetti squash-ground beef mixture topped with grated parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

  10. Bake until the cheese is golden brown and melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil before serving.

    A fully baked spaghetti squash and ground beef casserole topped with fresh basil

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

How to Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container (or in the covered casserole dish) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 F or microwave until hot throughout.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Use a different meat—Replace the ground beef with ground turkey or use a mixture of beef and Italian sausage (if using sausage, skip the optional fennel seed). Chicken or turkey sausage or even a plant-based ground meat substitute can also be used.
  • Add more veggies—Saute chopped zucchini with the onion for additional veggies.
  • Try out other cheeses—Use a mixture of mozzarella, asiago, provolone, and parmesan. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
294 Calories
16g Fat
20g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 294
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 50mg 17%
Sodium 614mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 23mg 113%
Calcium 192mg 15%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 742mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)