One of my favorite Spaghetti Squash Recipes is this Meatball Sub Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. It's a Fall family favorite.
It utilizes in-season (therefore cheap) squash, my favorite homemade turkey meatballs, and melty fresh mozzarella cheese. I also like to add in some charred red bell peppers, but that's just me.
Honestly, this stuffed spaghetti squash is so much fun because it's a take on two things in one: spaghetti and meatballs and a meatball sub.
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Try More Fall Favorites:
Whole Roast Chicken – Rotisserie Herb Flavor – Easy $5 Meal
Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan – Delicious, Restaurant Quality Taste
Sticky Wings but with Baked Chicken Drumsticks | Cheap, Easy | Homemade Sweet and Sticky Sauce
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Roll-Up’s – Gluten Free Fried Chicken
Crispy Herb Lemon Chicken | Easy Cast Iron Skillet Meal
Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits – Red Lobster Copycat
How to Make Gluten Free Italian Turkey Meatballs:
Of course, you can substitute the meatballs made in this recipe for your favorite go-to recipe, or even premade frozen meatballs if that's more your jam.
I love using ground turkey when I'm making meatballs because they're free of grease and just taste more delicious to me overall.
- Combine ground turkey, seasonings, and parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly distributed. Add in egg and breadcrumbs; stir until just combined.
- Measure 2 tbsp. of mixture per meatball. Roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. Place on a nonstick or greased baking sheet as you make each meatball - this is just a place for them to rest since rolling meatballs can be time-consuming.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan on the stovetop over medium. Add a pat of butter. Brown meatballs in a pan on each side. Tip: Work in batches as not to crowd the pan.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all meatballs back in the pan or on a clean cookie sheet. Bake until completely cooked through, a meat thermometer should read 165. *You will be baking the meatballs at the same time as the spaghetti squash halves are baking.*
To cut down on steps, you can skip browning the meatballs and just bake them if you want. Just note that the meatballs won't have a pretty golden exterior or texture.
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash:
Roasting spaghetti squash is actually really simple.
By far, the hardest part is cutting the dang thing open. The good news? It's not as tough as cutting into a butternut squash. Please be careful when cutting the spaghetti squash in half - use a sharpened knife. never dull, and always apply pressure to the knife in a direction going away from yourself.
Keep reading for some helpful tips on cutting and roasting a spaghetti squash.
How to Cut Open a Spaghetti Squash:
- Cut off the stem and the bottom of the squash so that both sides are flat.
- Place the squash on one of the flat ends so that it's standing up vertically. It should not be wobbly.
- Slice in half using a sharp knife. Your knife should be slicing from the tallest end of the squash down to the cutting board.
- Once cut in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
How to Roast a Spaghetti Squash:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- To a spaghetti squash cut in half and de-seeded; drizzle olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place cut-side down on a nonstick cookie sheet so that the inside of the squash browns. Note: If you scroll up to the photo of the meatballs baking you will see an example of this.
- Bake 30-40 minutes until fork tender. Do not pierce the outside rind of spaghetti squash as this will become our "bowl" that holds all of our meatball sub-fillings.
- Remove from oven and flip right side up. Tip: You can use a fork to pull and fluff the spaghetti squash. I like to keep it as is without the fluffing so that the cavity will hold more filling.
To Assemble the Meatball Sub Spaghetti Squash:
- Spoon marinara sauce into the bottom of each spaghetti squash's cavity.
- (Optional) Place charred red bell peppers on top of the sauce. While this is not a typical ingredient in a meatball sub, I love the flavor it adds to this meal.
3. Add meatballs. (Make sure you add an even amount to each spaghetti squash or else your family will come for you.)
4. Spoon over more marinara sauce.
5. Add freshly sliced mozzarella over top.
6. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes to heat everything up and until the cheese melts.
7. Garnish with fresh or dried parsley for color.
8. Serve.
Yum!
Did you make this Meatball Sub Spaghetti Squash? Let me know in the comments!
Meatball Sub Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
For the Italian Turkey Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon gluten free unseasoned breadcrumbs (I use 4C Foods brand)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon parsley
- 2 tsp italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- (optional) dash of seasonal or seasoned salt
For the Spaghetti Squash:
- 2 medium-sized spaghetti squash (halved, equals 4 halves/servings)
- 1 (optional) red bell pepper sliced
- 1 can pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- 16 oz. fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- (optional) fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Prep spaghetti squash: Cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a greased/non-stick cookie sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes until fork-tender.
To make Italian turkey meatballs:
- Meanwhile, combine ground turkey, seasonings, and parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly distributed. Add in egg and breadcrumbs, and stir until just combined. Measure 2 tbsp. of mixture per meatball. Roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. As you are rolling them, set them on a greased/ non-stick cookie sheet to rest. Once all meatballs are made, heat a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Brown on all sides; in batches so they don't crowd the pan. Add all meatballs back to the pan and finish cooking all the way through in the oven as the spaghetti squash continues to bake. Remove from oven once they reach an internal temperature of 165 F.
- (Optional) Meanwhile, char a red bell pepper in a pan over the hot burner on the stovetop. Set aside.
To assemble spaghetti squash:
- Flip spaghetti squash right-side up on the same cookie sheet. Spoon marinara sauce into the cavity. Add fillings in the following order: (optional) red bell pepper, meatballs, more marinara sauce, and then fresh sliced mozzarella.
- Bake an additional 10-12 minutes to heat through everything and melt the cheese. Serve garnished with parsley.
Notes
- Cut off the stem and the bottom of the squash so that both are flat.
- Place the squash on one of the flat ends so that it's standing up vertically. It should not be wobbly.
- Slice in half using a sharp knife. Your knife should be slicing from the tallest end of the squash down to the cutting board.
- Once cut in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
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