• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Oat&Sesame

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • all recipes
    • Easy Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • MIND Diet Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Traveling & Eating
    • Africa Travel
      • Morocco
    • Central America Travel
    • Europe Travel
      • Amsterdam & Haarlem | Netherlands
      • Greece
      • Spain
      • Prague | Czech Republic
    • Mexico Travel
      • Tulum & Merida
    • U.S. + Canada Travel
      • Arizona
      • Colorado
      • Maine
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Toronto | Canada
  • About Me
    • Work With Me
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole

March 6, 2018 by Emily Brees 10 Comments - This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

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.

Single serving Italian Turkey and Spinach Spaghetti Squash Casserole on plate

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!


Close Up Italian Turkey and Spinach Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Just look at that delicious scoop of yum!

PIN IT
make it soon + leave a review!


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.

Explore more dinner recipes here

5 from 5 votes
Print
Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

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.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spaghetti squash casserole
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 370 kcal
Author: Emily Brees | OatandSesame
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Add ground turkey, 1/4 tsp salt and a few grounds of pepper. Break up turkey so it cooks in bite sized chunks.

  4. 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.

  5. 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. 

  6. Combine spaghetti squash, 3/4 of the gruyere cheese, turkey mixture, and chopped spinach. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Mix well.

  7. 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.

  8. Bake 10 minutes @ 350F or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with side salad.

Nutrition Facts
Italian Ground Turkey Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 370
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Squash Recipes

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake in little bowls
Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake
Crispy Butternut Squash Gratin with Quinoa + Gruyere
Crispy Butternut Squash Gratin with Quinoa + Gruyere
Butternut Squash Soup
Delicata Squash Boats filled with veggies and Couscous
Moroccan Squash with Vegetable Almond Couscous
Spaghetti Squash Casserole in a blue baking dish
Previous Post: « Sweet Potato + Black Bean Rice Bowl with Avocado-Lime Sauce
Next Post: Traveling & Eating: Tucson, AZ »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leo Landes

    August 29, 2019 at 7:56 pm

    Yum! Spaghetti squash with ground turkey is delicious!

    Reply
    • Emily Brees

      August 29, 2019 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks Leo

      Reply
  2. Rose Martine

    February 11, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    This recipe is AMAZING. I will eat this for the rest of my life! So good and easy-peasy.

    Reply
    • Emily Brees

      February 12, 2020 at 8:14 am

      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!

      Reply
  3. Hannah Flack

    June 14, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    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!!

    Reply
  4. Adele Mackay

    June 7, 2022 at 10:39 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Emily Brees

      June 9, 2022 at 8:56 am

      Thank you, Adele!

      Reply
  5. AE

    March 4, 2024 at 4:53 pm

    Made this tonight and it was SO delicious! It fed four of us really well with no complaints. I printed the recipe to include in my “made this, loved it” folder! I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
    • Emily Brees

      March 4, 2024 at 7:12 pm

      Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy to hear it was a success!

      Reply
    • Emily Brees

      November 11, 2024 at 8:00 pm

      So happy to hear this! Thank you for the nice review!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hello Friends!

I'm Emily - a home cook, gardener and recipe creator located in Flagstaff, AZ.

Healthy eating + travel are my passion! Learn More

Newsletter Sign Up

Search by Recipe Category

Most Popular Posts
mango cucumber smoothieMango Cucumber Mint Smoothie
Baked Zucchini Pie
cannoli cookiesItalian Cannoli Cookies
Sun Dried Tomato + Basil Pinwheels Sun Dried Tomato + Basil Pinwheels
rhubarb breadRhubarb Hummingbird Bread
Italian Spaghetti Squash Bake

Recent Posts

  • Vegetarian Sheet Pan Fajitas with Mushrooms and Peppers
  • Easy Tahini Noodle Bowl with Edamame
  • Maple Pecan Granola with Olive Oil

Footer

Copyright © 2025 O&S > powered by Foodie Pro Theme & Genesis Framework