Spagetti Squash Lasagna Boats - A Delicious Pasta Alternative

I have not known what to do with spaghetti squash in the past and therefore never bought it. Then providence intervened and my farm order from Willowtree Farms included one small spaghetti squash. So I had to introduce it into my repertoire. I have since also received several other types of squash, since it is Fall now in Ontario, so more experiments are on their way.

I came across a recipe on Instagram from Half Baked Harvest and it looked so darn delicious--plus she spoke so highly of it. I made a non-garlic version.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-garlic-spaghetti-squash-lasagna-boats/

I think stuffing an already-roasted-and-shredded squash brings a lot of ease to the process and I will be trying as many versions as I can before they are once again not available fresh.

Roast a halved and de-seeded squash with a little drizzle of olive oil and some herbs (of your choice) in the oven, cut side up at 400* for 30- 40 minutes depending on the size and how long it takes to soften.

Then remove from the oven and add your preferred sauce. A vegan lasagna tomato sauce, a bolognese sauce, spaghetti sauce. The options are endless.

I had already made a thick meat sauce for lasagna the next day. The mozzarella was shredded for the same reason, so I also made the bechamel ahead of time, thank you Julia Child for that little tidbit.

This is a photo of the squash pre-baked on its second turn in the oven. I found 15 minutes enough to really heat and melt the cheese. The bechamel sauce mixed well into the meat and squash strands. I added the bechamel on the bottom, then the meat, then bechamel again, and then the cheese. It does not take copious amounts of any ingredient so it is quite economical, and less pasta makes for fewer calories.

My daughter and I placed one each in a bowl and scooped a bite, not expecting any "angels" to sing. Wrong. When you eat a meal at the kitchen counter without sitting down, in a chorus of, "this is really good" and "wow," you realize you have found something amazing.

This brings me to a general recipe. A master recipe, I'd say. Based on your tastes. Remember, cooking is an art of stress-free adaptations that incorporate things you already know. For example, I know that melty cheese and tomato sauce can make a lot of things taste like heaven. Cheese, in general, solves a lot of cooking dilemmas. Just notice the next time you watch a video how often they dump cups and cups of cheese in it, it also looks good on camera. Not to difficult, right? I need to watch my waistline so I am a little more careful with the amounts I use.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash cut in half and cleared of seeds
1-2 cups meat sauce or Vegan tomato sauce etc. (use thick jarred sauce if you have it)...or maybe your favorite chili sauce with beans
1-2 cups mozzarella or your preferred cheese combo

Bechamel sauce - not necessary but I like it in lasagna, so I made it:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1-2 cups milk (warmed)
Pinch salt, pepper, nutmeg

For the bechamel: Add butter to the pot, let melt. Add the flour. Stir for a minute till the flour cooks out, add warmed milk and stir. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Let thicken. TADA!

If you have any questions send me a note.

~ Mum