Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole
This Whole30 recipe is a Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole the entire family will love! Roasted squash, kale, and tender ground sausage are smothered in a creamy, dairy-free garlic sauce and oven-baked to delicious perfection. This easy recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, healthy comfort food at its finest!
This post was updated with new photos and copy on October 2nd, 2021.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes This Recipe Great
This Whole30 Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe might be one of my new favorite recipes! I used a combination of garlic, cashews, and coconut milk to create a creamy, Alfredo-like sauce without any dairy!
Spaghetti squash is a superhero vegetable. It is versatile, healthy, and really absorbs the flavors you’re cooking with because it is so mild. It’s the perfect substitute for pasta and potatoes because it has the same hearty textures, but with a fraction of the carbs.
If you’ve avoided using this squash in your recipes because it seems difficult, this recipe is for you! You’ll find out how to cut spaghetti squash, how to cook spaghetti squash, and how to use this low-carb veggie in a delicious casserole.
If you love spaghetti squash recipes, try my Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Carbonara, Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls, or Eggplant Parm(less) Spaghetti Squash Casserole!
Ingredient Notes
For a full list of ingredients, please see the recipe card below.
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Sausage: You can either make your own using ground pork (I love to get my heritage breed pork delivered to my doorstep from Butcher Box!) or use store-bought Italian sausage (Butcher Box also has sugar-free Whole30 compliant Italian sausage!). If making your own sausage, you’ll need fennel seed, ground sage, thyme, white pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and allspice.
- Kale: If you aren’t a fan of kale, you can sub in spinach or your favorite greens!
- Spaghetti Squash: I like to cut my spaghetti squash in half horizontally. This is the opposite of how most people do it! It creates longer “spaghetti-like” strands this way. Scoop out the seeds and that’s it!
Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Cashews: If you have a high-speed blender, there is no need to soak the cashews. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews for at least one hour. This will help them get really smooth.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves or a jar of minced garlic.
- Coconut Milk: I use a can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk. It often separates in the can, so be sure to whisk it before using it.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always preferred, but a jar of lemon juice will work in a pinch.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Use more or less depending on preference for spice.
- Salt and Pepper: Use to taste.
Recipe Step by Step
- First, preheat your oven to 400.
- I like to cut my spaghetti squash in half horizontally. This is the opposite of how most people do it! It creates longer “spaghetti-like” strands this way! Scoop out the seeds and lay both squash halves cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash for 35-40 minutes (depending on the size of the squash you may need more time – you’ll know it’s done when you can easily pierce it with a fork!).
- Meanwhile, make the sausage. Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat and add all sausage ingredients. Stir/cook for 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Drain the fat. Add the kale and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until it begins to wilt. Set the pan aside.
- Make the creamy dairy-free garlic sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 30 seconds or until it is very creamy. The cashews do not need to be soaked beforehand unless you do not have a high-speed blender.
- Once the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and use a fork to remove the strands. Add the squash and the garlic sauce to the pan with the sausage and kale. Mix it well. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until the sides and bubbling and it’s warmed through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- Protein:Â You can use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of pork.
- More Spice: For extra heat, simply use an extra few dashes of red pepper flakes! On the flip side, to make this less spicy, omit the crushed red pepper or add slightly less.
- Nut-Free: Unfortunately the cashews help to make this creamy garlic sauce super creamy without the dairy. I haven’t tested it with any nut-free substitutions.
Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the spaghetti squash according to the instructions in steps 1 and 2. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you are ready to make the casserole, start at step 3.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Serving Tips
- This is a dairy-free recipe, but if you want, you can top it with cheese like parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese. Use dairy-free cheese if preferred.
Recipe FAQs
Spaghetti squash is an excellent, low-carb substitute for pasta. A whole spaghetti squash has about 10 total grams of carbs. If you are wondering if spaghetti squash is keto, the answer is yes! Because it has about 2 grams of fiber, the net carbs for a whole spaghetti squash are 8 grams!
This recipe is not vegan due to the sausage, however, simply remove the animal protein from this recipe and it is vegan!
Try These Easy Whole30 Casseroles…
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ingredients
Sausage (If making your own)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp white pepper, black is fine if you don’t have it
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp all spice
Creamy Garlic Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk, Coconut milk separates in the can, so make sure to whisk it well before measuring!
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 4 cups kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Cut your squash in half (I like to cut it in half horizontally which is different than how most people do it, but it creates longer “spaghetti” strands this way!) Scoop out the seeds and lay both halves cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash for 35-40 minutes (depending on the size of the squash).
- Meanwhile, make the sausage: Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add all sausage ingredients. Stir/cook for 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Drain fat. Add the kale and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until it begins to wilt. Set the pan aside.
- Make the creamy garlic sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds or until very creamy. The cashews do not need to be soaked beforehand.
- Once the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and use a fork to remove the strands. Add the squash and the garlic sauce to the pan with the sausage and kale. Mix well. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until sides are bubbling and it’s warmed through. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- Protein:Â You can use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of pork.
- More Spice: For extra heat, simply use an extra few dashes of red pepper flakes! On the flip side, to make this less spicy, omit the crushed red pepper or add slightly less.
- Nut-Free: Unfortunately the cashews help to make this creamy garlic sauce super creamy without the dairy. I haven’t tested it with any nut-free substitutions.
Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the spaghetti squash according to the instructions in steps 1 and 2. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you are ready to make the casserole, start at step 3.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Serving Tips
- This is a dairy-free recipe, but if you want, you can top it with cheese like parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese. Use dairy-free cheese if preferred.
158 Comments on “Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole”
Can i use Spiraled spaghetti squash?
I’ve only used it with baked spaghetti squash strands, but any spiraled veggie should work!
Made this last night for lunches this week, and holy cow was it amazing. My husband taste tested it for me and went back for a second scoop. Without knowing the ingredients, he said it tasted just like Alfredo sauce. What a win. Thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was so delicious. I will definitely make this again. I made it as written, except I didn’t add all the spaghetti squash, because I wanted it extra creamy. Well done Mary!
Thank you, Lani!!
Made this tonight to prep for January Whole 30. WOW! So good! Did spinach because the husband refused to eat kale and added more garlic to the sauce. This is a keeper. Will definitely be making again!
Thanks so much Allison! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is one of THE tastiest meals I have ever eaten! And to think this is Whole30! I’m obsessed, Mary! Thank you for sharing this!!
Is it possible to roast the spaghetti squash ahead of time? Thank you:)
Yes you can definitely make all of the parts ahead of time then combine when you’re ready to bake it! 🙂
Oh my heavens!!! This is INSANE how delicious it is. it’s crazy how indulgent it feels as much as Alfredo sauce. Will make this again and again and again. Used spinach instead of kale bc it’s what was on hand— loved it— will make it again this way and double the spinach.
I’m so glad you loved it!!! Thanks for letting me know!
This might be one of my favorite meals ever. I used while30 compliant store bought sausage, but kept to everything else. I am not a kale fan, but the texture was great here. How do you think this would do to freeze the leftovers??
Yay! I am so glad you liked it! I think it would be fine to freeze.
This is delicious! The best whole 30 recipe I have made thus far. My entire family of 5 loved it, even our 2-year-old. The recipe is great as is but I have started subbing chicken stock for the water and adding 1/2 to 1 TB nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Also use the sauce drizzled over roasted potatoes and broccoli. So good!! Thank you for sharing.
This was DELICIOUS! I used store-bought sausage because I’m lazy and subbed spinach for kale because the hubs hates kale, but wow. Even he asked for more, which never happens with our healthier dinner. Definitely adding this to the rotation!
I’m so glad you liked it! thanks for letting me know <3
Can you make this without the cashews? Unfortunately I’m allergic so just wondering if you think the sauce will be okay without it. Thanks!!!
Unfortunately the cashews give it a unique creamy texture and I’m afraid it would be watery without them. A lot of people have asked for a substitute, so I will work on finding one 🙂
Looks delicious! Is it possible to substitute something for the cashews?
Unfortunately I haven’t tested any substitutes (nor do I know of any that have a similar texture to cashews!) – a lot of people asked for this during my takeover, so I am going to work on finding alternatives 🙂
Ok, thank you! 🙂
This was incredible. I don’t have a blender so I did the sauce in the food processor, and it took a few minutes on high to get creamy. I also added a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes and an extra cloves of garlic because those are my favorite, I’m Italian, and I can’t help myself. Husband said this is a keeper!
Yay! I am so glad you liked it! Thank you so much for letting me know. 🙂
I am planning on cooking this recipe tonight. I do not have an oven right now. Do you know if this would work in the instant pot and how long would I cook it in there?
Hi- I am so sorry for my delayed response! Unfortunately I have not tried it in the Instant Pot…but if you manage to cook the squash in there based off Googled directions and then make the sausage/kale on saute function, it should work! You don’t need to bake it.
I made this tonight including the homemade sausage. Delicious! I added sliced tomatoes on top because everything is better with tomatoes. 🙂
Yum! I am so glad you liked it!!
This was so good!! Like some other commenters I used spinach because that’s what I had on hand and it worked great. My meat and potatoes loving husband said it’s definitely a keeper recipe. I’ve always been nervous about trying the sauces made with cashews because I just didn’t think it would taste good. I was wrong and will absolutely be using this garlic sauce again. Thanks for such a delicious recipe!!!
Yay!! I am so glad you liked it! Glad to know it works with spinach! <3
I decided to make this casserole with Butternut squash because I couldn’t find spaghetti squash in the middle of summer. Other than making it an additional 10 minutes to get the noodles to soften it was amazing!! Even my hubby commented o how good it was!!
YAY! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know! Good to know it works with butternut squash 🙂
Made this for dinner and was awesome!! I subbed spinach since the hubby does not like Kale- he has two helpings and said it was fantastic!! Thanks Mary!
Amazing! so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know, Stephanie!
This was delicious! A nice change to how I typically serve my spaghetti squash. I did use spinach instead of kale because that’s what I had on hand. Adding it to the rotation!
I’m so glad you loved it, Valerie!! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Would love it if you’d include the nutritional values ….. At least the calories plus macros (fat/carbs/sugars) 😉
I may try to start doing this soon!
hi if you go onto myfitnesspal and add the recipe it will come out with the full nutrition breakdown … It works very well is easy and free… I have used it for many many years.
ok thanks!
Great suggestion. How? Do I add all the ingredients one by one, or is there a quicker way?