Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Smoked Sausage, Roasted Bell Peppers, and Zucchini is the ultimate Fall dinner. This keto, low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free recipe is a perfect addition to the holiday menu (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and is also a great option for an easy weeknight meal.
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
What can be more appealing for a host/hostess than creating a colorful, festive dish featuring seasonal ingredients to impress your friends and family? This straightforward, crowd-pleasing recipe is a well-balanced meal that has everything: lots of veggies (spaghetti squash, bell peppers, and zucchini) and protein (sausage). It has NO CREAM and NO CHEESE. This recipe is keto, low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free. It's a simple dinner that a whole family will love! Easy enough to make it on a busy weeknight, yet the presentation is so appealing that you can serve it when you have company over.
How to serve it
This spaghetti squash dish can be served in 2 different ways:
- Option 1. Stuffed spaghetti squash. Serve the sausage, bell pepper, and zucchini mixture stuffed into roasted spaghetti squash boats. This way, you can serve it in a deep large bowl and let your family and friends use a fork or spoon to scoop out the deliciousness of each squash half.
- Option 1. Unstuffed spaghetti squash - a skillet dinner. After roasting the spaghetti squash in the oven and letting it cool, you can scoop out the cooked flesh and add it to a large, high-sided skillet to combine with the sausage, bell pepper, and zucchini mixture.
Main ingredients
- Spaghetti squash is low in calories, incredibly nutritious, and a good source of folic acid, potassium, and beta-carotene. It's a great alternative to regular pasta
- Sausage. I used cooked smoked sausage (andouille).
- Bell peppers. I used mini bell peppers of different colors (sold in a bag). They are much softer in texture and milder in flavor than regular bell peppers and I love using them in recipes.
- Zucchini. I used 2 medium zucchini. Feel free to use more.
- Olive oil is used to cook the veggies and to brush the cut-sides of spaghetti squash before roasting.
- Salt and pepper - use those to taste.
What kind of sausage to use
- Pre-cooked sausage. Use smoked sausage, andouille sausage, or cajun sausage. The key is to use a flavored sausage that has already been pre-cooked. I used pre-cooked andouille sausage in this recipe.
- Italian sausage links. This is a great recipe to use for spicy, mild, or sweet Italian sausage. Make sure it's completely cooked through before using it in this recipe.
- Chicken sausage is another tasty ingredient.
- Crumbled sausage. You can also use crumbled sausage. Make sure to cook it through before using it in this recipe.
Can you make it meatless and vegan?
Make it vegan by using plant-based sausage such as the Beyond sausage brand. Or, skip the sausage and add more veggies, such as chopped portobello mushrooms sauteed with garlic, salt, and pepper in olive oil.
Variations and substitutions
- Use your favorite winter squash. This includes butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash.
- Sausage. I used cooked smoked sausage. I also recommend spicy Italian sausage or chicken sausage.
- Vegetables. This stuffed spaghetti squash is good not only with bell peppers and zucchini, but you can also add mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, peas, spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.
Add-ins
- Add cheese. I recommend pepper jack, shredded mozzarella, habanero cheddar, or Cheddar.
- Add fruit. Use chopped fresh apples, pears, or mango.
- Add nuts. Dress up this dish by adding pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, or slivered almonds.
- Dried fruit. You can also add cranberries, dried figs, raisins, or dried cherries.
Cooking tips
- Use a large, high-sided skillet. It will be perfect to scoop out the cooked spaghetti squash flesh and mix it with sausage, bell peppers, and zucchini as a skillet dinner.
- Use mini bell peppers (sold in a plastic bag). They have a much milder flavor than regular bell peppers, and they cook faster.
- To use cooking time efficiently, make the sausage mixture while you roast the spaghetti squash in the oven.
Storage and reheating tips
- Fridge. Scoop the cooked spaghetti squash out of each spaghetti squash half and mix it in with the sausage, bell pepper, and zucchini mixture. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven. Reheat the leftovers (scooped-out spaghetti squash flesh) in a large skillet on the stovetop on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add a small amount of olive oil.
- Freezer. Freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Other stuffed spaghetti squash recipes you might like
- Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli, Sausage, and Cheddar Cheese
- 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 Smoked Sausage, Roasted Bell Peppers, and Zucchini
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Smoked Sausage, Roasted Bell Peppers, and Zucchini is the ultimate Fall dinner. This keto, low-carb, gluten-free, and dairy-free recipe is a perfect addition to the holiday menu (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and is also a great option for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Sausage mixture
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz cooked sausage such as cajun sausage, andouille sausage, or smoked sausage
- 6 oz baby bell peppers thinly sliced (or 1 red bell pepper)
- 2 medium zucchini sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
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.
Cook sausage
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, high-sided cast-iron skillet (or stainless steel) on medium heat. Slice cooked sausage into coins and add to the skillet.
- Cook on medium heat in a cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side. Remove the sausage from the skillet.
Cook bell peppers and zucchini
- Add sliced bell peppers and sliced zucchini to the same, now empty, skillet (where you just cooked sausage). Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes or more, stirring once, until softened. You might have to cook in 2 batches.
- Add cooked sausage coins back to the skillet and mix with the veggies.
Assembly
- There are 2 options. Serve it as stuffed spaghetti squash or unstuffed. See the details below and refer to the 2 photos below.
- Option 1. Distribute the sausage, bell pepper, and zucchini mixture into 4 roasted spaghetti squash halves and serve it as stuffed spaghetti squash.
- Option 2. Using a large spoon, scoop out the cooked spaghetti squash flesh into a large bowl. Then, add all (or most of it) into the skillet with cooked sausage, bell peppers, and zucchini. Mix it in. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve it on plate or in pasta bowls.
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!
Awesome! A new fall staple for me! Thanks Julia!
Thank you, John, for trying this recipe and for your review! 🙂