Delish Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Rings

These Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Rings are one of our favorite vegetarian dinners that are still high in protein. This is recipe is gluten-free, you only need a sheet pan for making it and it comes together quickly for a weekday dinner recipe.

I love spaghetti squash. It is one of my favorite lighter dinners to make that satisfies my comfort food craving but also is a healthy meal.

If you never make spaghetti squash because it is intimidating or the squash takes too long to cook, these spaghetti squash rings are for you. The squash cooks in half the time but the texture is still those perfectly stringy squash strings (lol!).

I like to add some pasta sauce inside the rings then a combo of cottage cheese, basil and cheeses. You could of course add some cooked sausage too for even more protein. I love how flavorful these squash rings are and I love that my 1 year old enjoyed them too.

This is the type of recipe I make when I personally am craving it. This only makes about 2 servings (it is light) so it’s one of my go-to’s for myself. And of course to share with Cooper.

This meal is also so easy because you cook everything on the baking sheet. It is a sheet pan kind of meal that you wouldn’t expect and something that doesn’t make a huge mess in the kitchen to make just one meal.

I cannot wait to hear what you guys think of this dinner idea. I hope you love them too!

What ingredients you need to make stuffed spaghetti squash rings:

• Spaghetti squash – usually I microwave the squash for 1-2 minutes to soften before cutting
• Olive oil – or use avocado oil if you prefer
• Cottage cheese – or use ricotta cheese if you don’t have cottage cheese or prefer it over cottage cheese
• Garlic powder – or mince garlic cloves
• Fresh basil – if you don’t have fresh basil, use dried basil
• Mozzarella cheese – I like to buy a fresh log of mozzarella cheese and shred it myself but you can buy pre-shredded too
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese – I like using a block of parmesan reggiano for this
• Marinara sauce – you can add some pesto too if you wanted!

How to make spaghetti squash rings:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Cut the spaghetti squash into 4-6 rounds and remove seeds from center (will depend on size of squash)
3. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through
5. Mix together cottage cheese, basil, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese until combined
6. Use a fork to shred the strings a bit in the squash to form “nests”
7. Add sauce into each squash piece then add cheese mixture on top
8. Broil in oven for 1 minute or until cheese is bubbly
9. Serve while warm! I like adding a side salad or some veggies with it

FAQs and tips on making these spaghetti squash nests:

• What is the best way to cut the squash? I like to microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes then slice so it is softened a bit.
• Can I add in more ingredients to the filling? Yes! Some cooked sausage crumbs or extra veggies would be delicious.
• How long do these stay good for? In the fridge, for 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing them.
• The best way to reheat these spaghetti squash rings is in the microwave. 

A few other healthy dinner recipes to make:

The Best Avocado Chicken Burgers

No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake (gluten-free)

EASY One-Pot Vegetable Rice Soup (gluten-free)

One-Pot Skillet Lasagna (gluten-free)