Chrissy Teigen's Spaghetti Squash "Lasagna" Is Packed With Melted Cheese, So You Know It's Good
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First came her miso carbonara, then her cacio e pepe oatmeal, and most recently, her spaghetti squash lasagna. Chrissy Teigen frequently throws the rules of Italian cooking out the window, and yet she still manages to create delicious entrees with the most unexpected combinations of flavor. I'll admit, I was skeptical over the idea of oven-roasted spaghetti squash being described as "a lasagna of sorts," but when you try this recipe for yourself, you'll totally understand why Chrissy used those words. While low-cal spaghetti squash recipes tend to be on the bland side, this one is filled with layers of flavor (literally), and it happens to be keto-friendly too.
One of the staple ingredients of traditional lasagna filling is plain ricotta with a dash of salt and pepper, but Chrissy takes things to another level by adding a whole cup of parmesan and a few generous spoonfuls of pesto. And her Bolognese gets a serious upgrade too. Not only does she use turkey instead of beef, but she also amps up the intensity with chili flakes and basil.
But for a dish that's packed full of bold, zesty flavors, it's surprisingly simple to assemble. The sauce to ricotta ratio is way more flexible, because instead of gluing together a stack of fragile noodles, everything is contained inside a bowl — it's practically foolproof. A lasagna without pasta means no risk of soggyness or breakage, plus an entire day's serving of vegetables, and that's a pretty good trade off if you ask me. If you eat an entire spaghetti squash by yourself, I don't blame you, because that's exactly what I did — this recipe is that good. Follow the steps ahead to try it out for yourself.
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Roasted Spaghetti Squash
INGREDIENTS
- For the Roasted Squash:
- 2 spaghetti squashes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- For the Bolognese:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 large shallot
- 10 large cloves of garlic
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 jars of marinara sauce
- 1 large handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
- For the Ricotta Filling:
- 1 tub of ricotta
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons of jarred pesto
- 1/8 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoons pepper
- For the Topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the roasted squash, cut the spaghetti squash in half, remove the seeds and veggie hairs, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Place the squash face down on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
To make the Bolognese, roughly chop the carrots, celery, shallot, and garlic. Add olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high. Add the garlic, shallots, carrots, and celery to the pan and cook until slightly soft, about seven to eight minutes.
Add ground turkey, breaking it up with wooden spoon. Cook until it's no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper, and optional chili flakes and Italian seasoning.
Add marinara sauce and basil. Simmer until thick and chunky (remove some juice along the way with a ladle if you like your Bolognese on the hearty side).
For the ricotta filling, mix ricotta with grated parmesan and jarred pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, add a layer of ricotta mix to the roasted squash boat, followed by a heaping scoop of meat sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella, and put it back into the oven until melty.
Top with chopped parsley and enjoy!