This Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole is a mix of magical spaghetti squash, chopped fresh spinach, ground turkey, shallots, and garlic. Seasoned with oregano and basil, then layered with gruyere cheese for an absolutely fabulous dinner that’s ready in 1 hour.
We got snowed in a couple weeks back and I whipped together this casserole. It had been something I’d been planning for awhile and it turned out even better than I imagined.
Spaghetti Squash is magic. It’s makes spaghetti – how great is that? It’s not mushy and the leftovers refrigerate + reheat really well. Perfect for weeknight dinners and meal prepping.
How to cook spaghetti squash
Sometimes spaghetti squash can be one tough cookie to prep for baking – giving you an arm workout to cut it in half – they’re is no way around it.
- Cut off top and bottom
- Slice in half lengthwise
- Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper
- Place facedown on a baking sheet lined with foil, bake 40 min. @ 400F
- Other Options: place in a pressure cooker to cut the baking time in half
Can you freeze cooked spaghetti squash?
The answer is yes! Defrost before using and you’re ready to go!
Just look at that delicious scoop of yum!
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How to Make Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash
Step 1: Bake spaghetti squash.
While this bakes, move on to step 2.
Step 2: Sauté shallots and ground turkey.
When almost done cooking, stir in garlic and seasonings.
Step 3: Combine into baking dish.
Scrape spaghetti squash, ground turkey mixture, spinach and gruyere in a mixing bowl. Add to prepared baking dish.
Step 4: Top with cheese + Bake.
This recipe uses gruyere cheese which is so creamy and nutty. While you could use other cheese in this recipe, I highly recommend splurging on gruyere.
Next time you’re staring at spaghetti squash wondering what to make with this magical squash, look no further than this Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole.
It’s guaranteed to be a family favorite.
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This Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole is a mix of spaghetti squash, chopped fresh spinach, shallots, and garlic. Seasoned with oregano and basil, then layered with gruyere cheese. Gluten Free.
- 1 spaghetti squash, baked
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1.25 tsp dried basil (divided)
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 3/4 tsp Kosher salt and pepper (to season throughout recipe steps)
- 7 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped (packed)
- chopped fresh parsley, to top
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Cut spaghetti squash in half. Remove seeds. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bake cut side down on rimmed baking sheet – 400F for 40 minutes or until you can pierce through skin with a fork.
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While the squash is baking, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a sauté pan. Add chopped shallots. Sauté until softened – 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper.
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Add ground turkey, 1/4 tsp salt and a few grounds of pepper. Break up turkey so it cooks in bite sized chunks.
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When the turkey is almost cooked, add chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil. Stir to incorporate. Turn off heat, cover and set aside.
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When the squash is cooked and has cooled enough to handle, use the tines of a fork to scrape the spaghetti into a large bowl.
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Combine spaghetti squash, 3/4 of the gruyere cheese, turkey mixture, and chopped spinach. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Mix well.
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Lightly grease a baking pan with olive oil and scoop the turkey/squash mixture the pan. Sprinkle with remaining Gruyere cheese + 1/4 tsp remaining basil, drizzle of olive oil and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper.
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Bake 10 minutes @ 350F or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with side salad.
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Yum! Spaghetti squash with ground turkey is delicious!
Thanks Leo
This recipe is AMAZING. I will eat this for the rest of my life! So good and easy-peasy.
Thanks so much Rose! Your comment made my day! I’m so happy someone else is out there enjoying it just as much as we do!
This contains sooooooo much healthy protein and delicious spices! I cannot wait to try making this with my mother 😀 I think the whole family would love it!!
I read this recipe this morning and realized that I had all the ingredients on hand, so I pulled a lb of ground turkey from the freezer and made it for dinner. What a hit! My husband and son both loved it. I had to make a couple of small changes: my gruyere was smoked and I only had 6 oz. So I put all of that in the casserole and grated a little parmigiano-reggiano over the top. Then I was out of fresh parsley so I used chopped tarragon as the garnish. But it was absolutely delicious and I will be making it again for sure. I’m also thinking of omitting the ground turkey and half the cheese and using it as a spaghetti squash side. We eat a lot of fish, and it would go beautifully with Sole Meuniere and blackened sablefish, two of our favorite meals. This is an amazing recipe, thank you so much!
Thank you, Adele!