I bet that you are equally as obsessed with spaghetti squash as I am. And, I bet that you also like marinara sauce, Italian seasoned ground beef, and mushrooms, covered in a glorious layer of fresh mozzarella cheese.
If however, I am wrong, and you don’t like these things, this is not your recipe. Check out something totally different, like this Orange Thyme Roasted Chicken or Almond Herb Crusted Salmon
I used rich and creamy burrata for the mozzarella. If you want a lower calorie option, you could use plain mozzarella or a smaller amount of parmesan cheese. Burrata literally translates to “buttered” in Italian. It’s made by forming a sack out of mozzarella, and filling it with leftover scraps of mozzarella and cream.
As you can imagine, the taste is absolutely divine.
I did some experimenting with spaghetti squash boats and realized that I didn’t like using the large spaghetti squash as much as I liked smaller ones. Half of a small spaghetti squash works as an individual serving, and it’s so fun for everyone to have their own little boat.
With the larger ones, I had a hard time knowing how to serve them. Should cut them in half? Should everyone just scoop out what they want?
Obviously, if you can’t find 3 small spaghetti squash, 2 regularly sized ones will work just fine, but if you can find the them, I think small is the way to go.
I trimmed the stems off and cut them carefully in half. Then, I brushed them with olive oil and laid them cut side down on a parchment lined pan. It’s easy to lose a finger while cutting a spaghetti squash, so do be careful! I scraped out the seeds after it was baked. Way easier than scraping them out beforehand.
About 45 minutes should do the trick.
Once I scooped out the seeds, I filled the boats with Italian seasoned ground beef, marinara sauce, and sautéed mushrooms.
Get ready! Here comes the burrata.
Under the broiler for 10 minutes, and you have hot, melty, spaghetti squash boat glory, ready to be eaten by you and your loved ones.
This dish can be really healthy, if you don’t give in to your creamy burrata cravings like I do. At least there’s no white flour pasta, and it forces you to consume a ton of veggie goodness. Baby steps to healthy right? Baby steps.
The other night, Taylor and I were invited to a new friend’s house for dinner, and they spoiled us with the most delicious food. I’m usually the one cooking, and when we go to friend’s houses, there’s usually something to bring, and I try to be in the kitchen helping wherever I can.
This was a totally different experience though. Our friend was already deep in the cooking process when we got there, and the first thing that he served us was bruschetta that had fresh tomato, basil, balsamic vinegar, a generous portion of burrata, which is why I started obsessing about it and ended up incorporating it into a Lou Lou Biscuit recipe.
He didn’t let anyone help, so we just sipped wine and snacked on bruschetta while he cooked a feast. The main course was a venison loin which he seared in a cast iron skillet (the venison came from a deer he shot himself), and on the side he made roasted garlic mashed potatoes and carrots simmered in ginger ale. He plated everything himself and topped each serving with wild blackberry red wine sauce.
Another couple that came brought delicious gluten free chocolate cakes with homemade whipped cream and raspberry sauce. It was some of the best food I’d ever eaten, and we were really grateful to be invited.
It’s so fun to make new foodie friends and to be inspired by the different ingredients and cooking methods they use! So much of my recipe development and inspiration comes from virtual sources, and it’s wonderful to actually sit at someone’s table and participate in their food stories.
It’s a good reminder of why I do what I do.
Thanks for reading!
- 3 small spaghetti squash
- 1-2 tbl olive oil
- 12-14 oz oz burrata (you can sub plain mozzarella), sliced thinly
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ small onion, diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 25 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 cup fresh, white mushrooms, ends trimmed and sliced into ¼” pieces
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Carefully trim stems off of spaghetti squash and cut each in half lengthwise.
- Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Brush each spaghetti squash half on the cut side with olive oil.
- Lay each half facedown on the pan and bake for 45 minutes.
- When the squash is fork tender, take out and set aside to cool.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to a large frying pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until water releases and mushrooms are tender. Set aside.
- Add a bit more olive oil to the pan over medium heat, and add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until they become translucent. Add ground beef and break up into small pieces. Add all spices and continue to stir until beef is fully cooked and slightly browned. Set aside.
- Turn the broiler on high and adjust the oven rack to the second highest position.
- Now go back to your squash and scoop out the seeds with a large spoon. Split ground beef mixture into 6 portions, and add to squash cavities.
- Add the marinara sauce in 6 equal portions, and then the mushrooms.
- Top with thin slices of the burrata.
- Broil for 8-10 minutes and take out when the cheese is melted and browned. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.
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Yummy! I’m making these tonight with the mini spaghetti squash I got in the CSA & have been wondering what to do with. Thanks!
Oh that’s good timing! I hope you liked them 🙂
Wow these are so good, a perfect meal for busy weekdays.
Thanks, Deepika
I love all kinds of squash and think spaghetti squash is especially fun to eat. Love how you made this a meal in itself!!
Thanks so much for your comment Manju
Love the step by step pictures. Your photography is stunning! And so are these adorable squash boats!
Thanks so much! You’re so sweet. 🙂
I love the filling!! These looks really really good!!
Thanks so much!
These mini spaghetti squash boats look delicious! There is nothing bad about a nice layer of melted mozzarella 🙂
Tell me about it, Jenn! Thanks for the comment!
I’ve never seen spaghetti squash in the supermarkets here, but now I’m definitely going to be on the lookout so that I can make this recipe.
I hope you can find some! It’s my favorite type of squash! Thanks for your comment 🙂