Whip up these Spaghetti Squash Pizza Boats for a low-carb + gluten-free pizza night of epic proportions!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Spaghetti Squash Pizza Boats
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 2servings
Calories 319kcal
Author Jenn Laughlin - Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
¼cuppizza sauce
1/4-1/2cupgrated mozzarella cheese
¼cupgrated parmesan cheese
1-2cupsveggiessee below
1clovegarlicsmashed and miced
1medium spaghetti squash6-8 inches long
crushed red pepper flakes for topping
season veggies with 1/4-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
⅛tspsaltextra to taste if desired
10slicesof pepperoni
crushed red pepper flakes for toppingif desired
optional fresh basil for toppingif desired
VEGGIE OPTIONS:
I used equal parts chopped bell pepper and chopped mushrooms - delicious!
bell peppers
onion
mushrooms
spinach
broccoli
tomato
olives
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
If you're having trouble cutting the squash, feel free to stick each squash in the microwave to soften it up just a tad. Pierce it a few times with a knife (to help vent so it doesn't burst) and cook for for 3-5 minutes. The knife slides through way easier this way! Smaller squash will need about 3 minutes while larger ones will be good after at 4 min or so.
Next grab a lipped baking sheet or a baking dish. Rub the cut side of the squash with a teeny bit of olive oil and place on your baking dish/sheet and roast face-down for about 35 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of your squash, and larger squash will need to roast a bit longer to tenderize. Once ready, the once rock-hard exterior of the squash will be visibly softened with a tender interior.
While the squash roasts, chop all your veggies and portion out your toppings + sauce.
You can use raw veggies in your squash if you prefer the crunch, but I like to lightly sauté mine. Heat a pan/skillet to medium-high heat and sauté your veggies in a drizzle of olive oil, adding the garlic towards the end to prevent burning. Once softened, pat dry with a paper towel and season with Italian seasoning blend, salt, and pepper.
Once squash is done roasting, allow to cool until easily handled or pop on an oven mit and use a fork to separate and fluff the strands of spaghetti squash.
Stir in 2 TBSP of sauce and 2 TBSP parmesan cheese to each squash boat along with several spoonfuls of veggies. When it comes to extra sauce, veggies, cheese... have at it yo! I tend to overstuff mine.
Top with remaining veggies/toppings, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and finish off with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a kick.
Switch oven to BROIL on HIGH, place squash back on your baking sheet/pan and broil until hot and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Keep an eye on it so you can yank at your perfect degree of golden cheesiness.
Commence faceplant!
Notes
I chose to chop my pepperoni into fourths because I love having a little bit of pepperoni in every bite. Feel free to follow suit!Need to make this 100% VEGAN or VEGETARIAN? It's super easy!Simply skip the pepperoni (or opt for a yummy vegan variety - there are a few good ones out there to choose from made with tempeh/tofu) and, if needed, replace the cheese with your favorite dairy-free shreds.No pizza sauce? No problem! I made my own pizza sauce using my favorite jarred spaghetti sauce and some tomato paste to thicken it (if sauce is watery your stuffed squash will be as well) - regular spaghetti sauce will work in a pinch but may be very watery. If you're using that instead you can warm it up and add it to the squash as needed after stuffing it with cheese/veggies/toppings.Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on choice of veggies and extras and enjoy!