Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce and Meatballs
Spaghetti squash served with a homemade tomato sauce and juicy meatballs. A lightened up version a classic Italian favorite!
Spaghetti squash is one of the coolest types of squash out there. Unlike other varieties once roasted or baked, the flesh transforms into perfect strands which can hold up to hearty sauces and be twirled like traditional pasta.
Last week was the first time that I’ve cooked spaghetti squash at home, but most certainly not the last . The hardest part of cooking this vegetable is cutting it in half lengthwise. Once that task is accomplished, the rest is a breeze.
Then comes the fun part…raking it with a fork and watching it miraculously produce it’s “spaghetti” strands. I couldn’t help but wonder as I did this, who was the first person to ever figure this out?!
To make this dish more hearty and substantial, the spaghetti squash is paired with my favorite homemade tomato sauce and classic meatballs. The meatballs are adapted lightly from Marcella Hazan’s The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
While the meatballs are quite easy to put together, this entire dish does require a decent amount of prep and cook time, so I recommend reserving this meal for the weekend.
The tomato sauce is best when left to slowly simmer and thicken on the stove for between 1-2 hours. About an hour into cooking the sauce, preheat the oven to roast the squash which, depending on the size, should take anywhere from 40-50 minutes to cook.
Part-way through cooking the squash, start putting together the meatballs. These meatballs are quick to assemble and are made up of a simple mixture of ground beef, chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and bound with an egg and bread, which has been soaked in milk. Be sure not to squeeze or knead the mixture as you’re putting them together!
Once seared on all sides, the meatballs are then placed into the slowly simmering tomato sauce, to continue to cook all the way through for additional 10-15 minutes. A large Dutch-oven is great for this, but any large heavy-bottomed saucepot will do.
This is the best kind of lightened up comfort food!
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce and Meatballs
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce:
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Roasted Spaghetti Squash:
- 5 lb whole spaghetti squash
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- unsalted butter
Meatballs:
- 1 slice whole wheat sandwich bread crust trimmed
- ⅓ cup (80 mL) whole or low-fat milk
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 lb (16 oz) 85% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Prepare Tomato Sauce: Heat the olive oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about a minute. Do not allow the garlic to gain color. Add the bay leaves, oregano, and crushed tomatoes and stir everything together. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to slowly simmer, slightly covered, for 1 to 2 hours. Stir every so often.
- Cook Spaghetti Squash: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center position. Carefully trim the bottom of spaghetti squash. Cut the squash in half lengthwise (be very careful!) and remove and discard the inner seeds with large spoon.
- Rub the inside of the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side facing down on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (time will vary depending on the size of your squash) - the skin of the squash will darken in color as it cooks. Start to prepare the meatballs (see instructions below) while the squash is roasting.
- Once done, remove the squash from the oven and test the doneness by turning the squash over and lightly raking the inside with fork - if it strands easily, it is ready.
- Set one spaghetti half in a large bowl and using a fork, rake the quash to produce long spaghetti-like strands. Note: The squash will be very hot, so I recommend holding down one side down with another fork, while raking with your other hand. Repeat with remaining squash halve.
- Toss the spaghetti squash strands with small pat of unsalted butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with sauce and homemade meatballs, garnish with cheese, and serve immediately!
- Prepare and Cook the Meatballs: In small saucepan, combine the bread and milk and place over low heat. Once the bread has fully absorbed the milk, remove the pan from heat and transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Mash with a fork. Set aside.
- Spread the fine breadcrumbs on a large sheet of wax paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, grated cheese, parsley, nutmeg, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Using your hands, carefully combine the mixture together until all of the ingredients are incorporated evenly. Be careful not to press or squeeze too much; the mixture should be loose and moist.
- Carefully shape 1-inch diameter meatballs (without squeezing—they should be loosely held together, not tightly compact). Lightly roll in the breadcrumbs and set on a plate.
- In heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet or sauté pan, heat a small layer of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the meatballs carefully into pan (you may have to do this in two batches, avoid overcrowding the pan!). The meatballs should sizzle immediately when you place them in the pan.
- Sear the meatballs until brown on all sides. They will be delicate, so flip them carefully with a spatula to prevent them from falling apart. Once brown, remove onto paper-towel lined plate. Note: It is ok if they are not cooked all the way through as they will be added to the simmering tomato sauce.
- Once all meatballs have been seared, place them carefully into the pot with the prepared tomato sauce. Cover and continue to cook the meatballs and sauce for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked thoroughly.
- Serve: Top the just cooked and seasoned spaghetti squash with a generous spoonful of tomato sauce and several meatballs. Serve with additional finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
9 Comments on “Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce and Meatballs”
This was soo amazing!! Hearty and delicious, will be a go to meal for sure!! Thank you for sharing !!
I’ve always just split the squash in half and microwaved it with a couple tablespoons of water for ten minutes total and then I take a fork and run it through. Im sure it taste better baked but an hour vs ten minute is huge on a weeknight 🙂
Yes! This totally works too!
Just a note about spaghetti squash: You don't *have* to go through the hassle of cutting it before cooking. It takes a bit longer, but you can just poke it a couple of times and put it in the oven. When it's soft, take it out, let it cool a bit, and cut it open. I frequently do this when I'm home for an afternoon, and will even just cook a bunch of squashes at one time. Enjoy!
Just made spaghetti squash this week, too! My sauce wasn't as hearty as I would have liked it to be so adding meatballs is a great idea! 🙂
Hey Laura! We love spaghetti squash and agree it is perfect with tomato sauce. Love your meatballs too! Hope you are well. Your photos are awesome. Take care and have a great weekend.
Leeann — I have only cooked it once before–in culinary school, funnily enough! I've always meant to buy it, but I think whenever I meant to, it wasn't available at the store. Luckily, I think it is becoming a lot more popular and easy to find 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
Sues — Thanks so much! I really liked how it bulked it up a bit. Spaghetti squash is so light on its own, that I feel like it needs some heartiness added to make it a substantial meal.
I love spaghetti squash and it's such a good idea to serve it with meatballs!
Thanks for this recipe! I've always wanted to know how to cook spaghetti squash and I was curious to see what it would look like. Thanks for the demonstration and advice on raking it. Think I might try to make it next weekend!