Low Carb Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs with Fresh Mozzarella
This low carb spaghetti squash and meatballs with fresh mozzarella is total comfort food! I am in love with this dish. Seriously, I just want to dive in and relish every bite of these flavorful meatballs covered in melted fresh mozzarella cheese.
What's better, this is actually a spaghetti and meatball dish you can feel good about. It's made with simple and healthy ingredients and packed with veggies. It all starts with roasted spaghetti squash to replace the traditional pasta. While the spaghetti squash cooks, it's time to make a simple homemade marinara sauce and some delicious beef meatballs. Then to really kick things up, everything is layered into the spaghetti squash halves and topped with melted fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Yum. If you are on a Whole30 or Paleo diet, you could leave out the cheese and it will still turn out delicious.
Since this recipe takes a little longer to prepare, consider prepping it on the weekend so you can assemble it quickly midweek. Just make up the meatballs and sauce on the weekend. Then instead of roasting the spaghetti squash, pierce the squash with a knife or fork and just microwave it for 10-12 minutes until tender. Carefully cut it in half and remove the seeds. Then add the meatballs, sauce, and cheese and pop it under the broiler until everything is browned and melted. Easy, peasy.
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Low Carb Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs with Fresh Mozzarella
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Ingredients
- 2 U spaghetti squash, halved
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 4 U cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 U onion, diced
- 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 U bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 lb. 95% lean ground beef (or turkey)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1 U egg
- 1 U garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 2 oz. fresh mozzarella
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped
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Instructions
(Hide Photos)Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in large sauce pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cover.
Combine the beef, Parmesan cheese, parsley, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Form into one inch meatballs and drop into the tomato sauce.
Simmer the meatballs for 20 minutes until cooked through.
To assemble spaghetti squash boats, first scrape the spaghetti squash away from the edges using a fork. Add the meatballs and some of the tomato sauce. Layer thin slices of mozzarella on top. Return to oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Top with basil.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.
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Great for a quick weeknight meal.
The smart points I calculated for this recipe using the recipe builder on the ww site are only 6 points per serving. So I added a touch more freshly grated parm to top mine off to make up for the extra point.