Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli, Sausage, and Cheddar Cheese is a simple dinner that a whole family will love. It's keto, low-carb, gluten-free, high in protein and fiber. You can easily make it dairy-free by using dairy-free cheddar cheese. Using spaghetti squash is a great low-carb alternative to regular pasta recipes!
Spaghetti squash with broccoli and sausage
The spaghetti squash is first roasted in the oven, and then stuffed with cooked spicy Italian sausage, blanched broccoli, and Cheddar cheese. This dish is gluten-free, low in calories, low in carbs, and high in protein and fiber. The only dairy product used is Cheddar cheese, there is no cream and no butter. You can easily make it dairy-free by using dairy-free Cheddar cheese. This quick and easy recipe is pure comfort food made healthier. Spaghetti squash is a wonderful low-carb alternative to regular pasta, and you won't miss pasta in this recipe at all! If you love spaghetti squash and sausage combo, be sure to check out my Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms or this Fall-inspired Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with spicy Italian Sausage, Spinach, Apples, Cheddar, and Pepper Jack Cheese.
Why you'll love it
- Simplicity. This recipe requires only 4 main ingredients (not including olive oil, salt, and pepper). They are spaghetti squash, Italian sausage, broccoli, and cheddar cheese. Easy enough to make it on a busy weeknight, when you don't want to spend time on complicated recipes!
- Healthy pasta alternative. Spaghetti squash is a healthy, delicious, low-calorie, and gluten-free alternative to regular pasta.
- This gluten-free recipe is a perfect addition to the holiday menu (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and is also a great option for an easy weeknight meal.
Main ingredients
- Spaghetti squash is low in calories, incredibly nutritious, and a good source of folic acid, potassium, and beta-carotene.
- I highly recommend spicy Italian sausage. It's so flavorful, and the spiciness gets quite mellow since it's mixed in with roasted spaghetti squash and broccoli. Spicy Italian sausage is very savory, which you want in this recipe. Mild or sweet sausage might add too much sweetness and is simply not flavorful enough.
- Broccoli is an edible green plant and is part of the cabbage family. It's a great source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. It's packed with fiber!
- Cheddar cheese pairs so well with broccoli. You can easily make this recipe dairy-free by using dairy-free Cheddar.
- Seasonings include salt and freshly ground black pepper. A lot of flavor comes from the spicy Italian sausage, so you don't need too many extra seasonings.
- Olive oil is used to brush spaghetti squash halves before roasting.
Variatoins and substitutions
- Use any winter squash. You can make this recipe with butternut squash or acorn squash and stuff it with the same filling. When using acorn squash, keep in mind that they are smaller in size and bake faster in the oven (about 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 400 F).
- Other cheeses that you can use besides cheddar are pepper jack, shredded mozzarella, habanero cheddar, or Gruyere cheese.
- Veggies. You can use spinach, kale, or Swiss chard. Other options are bell peppers or mushrooms.
Tips for Success
- To use cooking time efficiently, make the sausage and broccoli mixture while you roast the spaghetti squash in the oven.
- Use crumbled sausage. It works best for stuffing the spaghetti squash. However, if you bought sausage in casings, that's not a problem - just remove the casings and crumble the sausage as you cook it.
- Fresh broccoli or frozen. I used fresh broccoli but frozen broccoli (thawed and drained well of all liquid) would work great, too!
- Make it dairy-free. The only dairy product in this recipe is Cheddar cheese. Replace it with your favorite dairy-free cheese alternative.
Storage and reheating tips
- Fridge. Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven. Reheat it in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes.
- Reheat in the microwave oven. You can also microwave the leftovers. For the best and fastest results, take the sausage and broccoli mixture out of the squash, and reheat this mixture and the squash separately. Then stuff the broccoli mixture back into the spaghetti squash.
Other stuffed spaghetti squash recipes you might like
- Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms
- Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with spicy Italian Sausage, Spinach, Apples, Cheddar, and Pepper Jack Cheese
- Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Tomatoes, Spinach, and Feta Cheese
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli, Sausage, and Cheddar Cheese
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli, Sausage, and Cheddar Cheese is a simple dinner that a whole family will love. It's keto, low-carb, gluten-free, high in protein and fiber. You can easily make it dairy-free by using dairy-free cheddar cheese. Using spaghetti squash is a great low-carb alternative to regular pasta recipes!
Ingredients
Spaghetti squash
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 oz spicy Italian sausage crumbled
- 10 oz broccoli florets about 4 or 5 cups
- 6 oz cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
How to roast spaghetti squash
- Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each squash into 2 halves and scrape the seeds and fiber from each half.
- Note: Before cutting each squash, microwave it for 5 or 10 minutes to soften the hard skin, then cut each squash in half. Make several large slits in the squash before microwaving.
- Drizzle olive oil over the cut sides and inside of the squash. Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Place the 4 squash halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut-sides down.
- Roast for about 30 or 40 minutes on the middle rack. Remove it from the oven when it's cooked through and soft. Note: You can check by pulling the baking sheet out of the oven and piercing the squash with the fork - it should be soft.
- Remove the squash from the oven.
- While the squash is roasted, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Prepare broccoli
- Bring a small saucepan with water to a boil. Add chopped broccoli florets and blanch them for about 4 minutes. Drain well. This is what I did.
- Alternatively, you can skip this step and add chopped broccoli florets to the skillet and cook with the sausage in the next step.
Cook sausage
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet.
- Add crumbled sausage and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sausage is cooked. Drain excess fat.
- Add blanched broccoli to the sausage and mix.
How to stuff spaghetti squash
- You have roasted the spaghetti squash for 30 or 40 minutes by this time. Remove it from the oven and turn the cooked squash halves cut sides up.
- Let them cool slightly.
- Divide the sausage and broccoli mixture among the 4 halves and stuff the squash until the mixture is leveled. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Roast the stuffed spaghetti squash in the oven at 400 F for 10 or 15 more minutes until the cheese melts.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
How do you serve it? Straight out of the squash or mix it all together after baking?
Dan, you can serve it just like that - stuffed - in a large and deep pasta bowl. Or, you can scoop out the cooked spaghetti squash flesh and mix it up with the sausage broccoli mixture. Similar to what I did in this recipe (take a look at all photos - you'll see what I mean):
https://juliasalbum.com/spaghetti-squash-sausage-bell-peppers-zucchini/