Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Overhead view of spaghetti squash with meatballs and marinara on plate.

My kids often ask for spaghetti and meatballs and this is a favorite way to serve it up! It's a bit healthier for everyone with the spaghetti squash in place of pasta and the flavor of the squash pairs great with the marinara and meatballs.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword spaghetti squash with meatballs

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 479kcal

Author Karly Campbell

Ingredients

For the spaghetti squash:

1 spaghetti squash about 2 pounds
1 teaspoon garlic salt

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef 85-90% lean
½ pound ground sausage
1 cup crushed pork rinds
1 large egg
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano

For serving:

3 cups marinara sauce see notes
Minced parsley

Instructions

To make the spaghetti squash:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil.
Wash the spaghetti squash and score the squash lengthwise with a sharp knife. Microwave for 5 minutes to soften the squash to make it easier to cut. Slice the squash in half lengthwise.
Scrape the seeds from the center of the squash and discard (or save for roasting and eating as a snack).
Sprinkle the inside of the squash with garlic salt.
Place on the prepared pan cut side down and bake for 30-45 minutes or until a sharp knife can be easily inserted with only a little resistance.
Use a fork to scrape strands of spaghetti squash. Scrape width-wise for longer strands or length-wise for short stands. Set squash aside.

To make the meatballs:

About 30 minutes before the squash is done, add the ground beef, pork rinds, egg, almond milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano to a medium mixing bowl and mix well with clean hands to combine.
Separate the meatballs into 18 separate chunks and roll into a ball.
Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees or until cooked through.

To serve:

Warm the marinara in a saucepan on the stove.
Divide the spaghetti squash evenly between 6 plates and top each plate with ½ cup of marinara.
Arrange 3 meatballs over the spaghetti squash and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Notes

Marinara Sauce: The nutrition is based on using Rao's marinara. It's a no sugar added sauce that you can find in most stores. It's our all time favorite sauce - good flavor and no funky ingredients.

Nutrition: This is a bit higher in carbs than most of our recipes, just because spaghetti squash is naturally higher in carbs. You could swap the spaghetti squash for zucchini noodles to cut carbs if preferred. This recipe works well for a low carb diet, but likely isn't going to fit into a keto diet due to the carb count.

Nutrition