Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
Try this Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.5705900013277 g
- Cholesterol 36.2880000306761 mg
- Fat 9.09695250751818 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 13.7554200116282 g
- Saturated Fat 5.74434675483225 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (57g)
- Sodium 369.39454977586 mg
- Sugar 1.5705900013277 g
- Trans Fat 0.469112062891907 g
- Calories 145 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Place the 4 squash halves on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle the interior of the squash with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Turn cut side down and bake 30-40 minutes, or until squash is tender and strings like spaghetti when scraped with a fork.
- Remove from the oven.
- Turn oven up to 400.
- Turn the squash upright and scrape the squash with a fork and fluff the "spaghetti" strands.
- Place 1 serving of meatballs and 1c sauce over top of the squash.
- Sprinkle with 1/4c mozzarella cheese.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is heated through, about 10 minutes.
- Top with fresh basil and serve.
Roasting Mechanics for Winter Squash
Water content dictates the outcome when working with cucurbits. Baking the halves cut-side down against the sheet pan traps steam initially, softening the dense flesh before the heat caramelizes the surface contacts. Scraping the interior strands requires a fork rather than a spoon to preserve the distinct, noodle-like integrity instead of creating a watery purée. Preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the thermal energy penetrates the thick walls evenly over 30 to 40 minutes.
Thermal Assembly and Cheese Management
Melting shredded dairy over a wet base demands precise oven placement. Cranking the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the final 10-minute baking window promotes browning on the mozzarella without boiling the underlying sauce. Fresh basil applied post-bake utilizes residual heat from the melted cheese to release essential oils without oxidizing the leaves into a bitter gray paste.
Portions assembled ahead of time maintain structural integrity for up to 48 hours in a refrigerator before baking. Freezing unbaked components causes the high water content within the vegetable cells to expand and rupture, resulting in soggy strands upon thawing.
