Turkey Marinara Spaghetti Squash
Who doesn’t love an easy weeknight dinner? When that time rolls around all I want is something easy and this Turkey Marinara Spaghetti Squash is exactly that. Made with only 5 ingredients and perfect meal that everyone will love! Spaghetti Squash is delicious to make right now and is super versatile.
One thing that I love about the fall season is that spaghetti squash is in season! I’ll pick one of these up at Trader Joe’s (best place to get them because they don’t weigh them for cost!) and use for easy recipes during the week. Once you make one, it can become a base for so many different combinations. Try it mixed with pesto or any of your favorite sauces, try it with ground turkey, beef or shredded chicken, add lots of veggies or none at all! There are so many ways to switch these up.
These Turkey Marinara Spaghetti Squash Boats are as simple as it gets. They make for a balanced dinner that will keep you feeling satisfied after enjoying it. I can guarantee that the whole family will love it too, even the one that may be skeptical of spaghetti squash!
What you need for Turkey Marinara Spaghetti Squash:
- Spaghetti Squash: I love to pick up one of these for an easy meal during the week! While they may be a pain to cut in half (look at recommendations below), there are so many ways to enjoy these!
- Ground Turkey: the protein source for this meal but can easily be switched up with ground beef or chicken based on preference.
- Marinara: any marinara that you like can be used here! See note: if you have a larger spaghetti squash, you may want to add more marinara to the mix!
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: a little shredded mozzarella cheese is the perfect addition to these spaghetti squash boats.
- Italian Seasoning: this adds a delicious flavor by adding this in the mix and sprinkling on top before serving
- Sea salt, pepper
Why you’ll love these Turkey Marinara Spaghetti Squash Boats:
- They are so easy! It doesn’t get much better than a 5 ingredient meal.
- It makes a good amount so you may even have leftovers!
- These boats are a balanced meal with protein, fat and carbs! Win-win
- You’ll feel good eating this! While these spaghetti squash boats are super satisfying, they won’t feel too heavy.
What marinara did you use?
I love this marinara sauce from Rao’s! You can use any that you prefer.
Can I substitute ground beef or chicken?
Yes! If you want to switch up the ground turkey for ground beef or ground chicken, that would make for an easy substitute for the protein. Just cook it the same way you would for ground turkey.
Best way to make spaghetti squash:
Spaghetti squash can be a pain to cut! If you’ve ever tried to cut it, it can feel like you’re going to loose some fingers in the process. I recommend poking a few holes into the squash and then placing in the microwave to heat up for 2-3 minutes. That loosens up the squash and allows it to be easier to cut. It’s important to use a good knife when cutting the squash in half too.
What to do if you have leftovers:
Don’t you love when a meal has leftovers? If you have any spaghetti squash leftover, I store it in sealed glass containers like these. When yo go to reheat the leftovers, place portion in the microwave (not in spaghetti squash boat) and heat for 1-2 minutes until warm.
Recipe tip:
- I used a small/medium spaghetti squash here! If you use a larger one, you may want to add more marinara sauce to the mixture!
- If you don’t want to use ground turkey, try this with ground beef or chicken!
- Don’t have shredded mozzarella cheese? Try a shredded Mexican cheese or parmesan.
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy these on One Balanced Life:
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Pizza Spaghetti Squash Boats
- Turkey Marinara Stuffed Zucchini
- Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
Looking for more easy weeknight dinners? Try these!
- One Pot Taco Pasta
- One Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
- Ground Turkey Rice Bowls
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Turkey Marinara Spaghetti Squash
Delicious spaghetti squash boats!
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium spaghetti squash
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella sauce (can add more depending on preference)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- dash of pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Poke holes in spaghetti squash and place in microwave fro 2-3 minutes.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half. Scrape out the inside of the squash to remove the seeds.
- Top spaghetti squash with a little avocado oil spray and dash of sea salt, pepper.
- Place in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Prepare ground turkey by heating up pan with a little oil. Place ground turkey on pan to brown. Top with a little sea salt, pepper while browning.
- Remove spaghetti squash when done cooking and allow to cool before scraping inside. Scrape out the inside of the spaghetti squash into a separate bowl.
- Add spaghetti squash, ground turkey, marinara sauce, italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt to bowl. Mix.
- Place spaghetti squash stuffing back into each half of squash. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Place back in the oven for 7-9 minutes until the cheese is melty.
- Top with fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes and additonal italian seasoning. Enjoy!