Spaghetti Squash Lasagna & Cauliflower Garlic "Breadsticks"

It does not get much better than this.

I mean... it's healthy, it's delicious, it's easy to make, it looks pretty, and it's overall just a fantastic meal. 

You would never guess you weren't eating "real" lasagna. 

Okay... the cauliflower breadsticks aren't going to fool anyone BUT they are still tasty in their own right. 

That lasagna though.....

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash

(Yield approx 4 cups cooked squash)

salt & pepper

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup spaghetti sauce + 2 Tbsp

2 cups light Ricotta cheese

1 cup light mozzarella cheese, shredded & divided

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded & divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Season with salt and pepper.

Now, you can either place them on a cookie sheet and roast them in the  oven for about an hour OR you can place them on a plate and microwave them for 10 - 15 minutes. You just want to cook them long enough that you can easily shred them with a fork.

When they are done, shred the squash into a bowl and set it aside. You will need about 4 cups for this recipe. (You can use more, of course, but I used 4 cups to figure out the nutritional counts)

In a medium frying pan over medium heat, cook the turkey, onion, and garlic until turkey is completely cooked. Stir in the 1 cup of spaghetti sauce and remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the Ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese. 

Prepare lasagna - In the 9 X 13 pan spread the 2 Tbsp of spaghetti sauce.

Spread out half of the spaghetti squash evenly in the pan.

Now spread half of the Ricotta cheese mixture. (It helps to spoon the mixture over the whole pan and then spread it with the spoon.)

Lastly spread with half of the meat mixture.

Now repeat the layers one more time. Spaghetti squash, cheese mixture, meat mixture.

Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of Parmesan cheese. 

Pop into a 350 oven and cook until lasagna is bubbly, about 45  minutes to an hour. 

Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.

It is soooooo good. 

Want some even better news?

According to Myfitnesspal one serving is 393 calories, 20 carbs, 20 fat, 3 fiber, and 35 protein. (Recipe makes 5 servings)

That's like HALF the carbs of "regular" lasagna and a few less calories too. 

It freezes very well too. I portioned it into containers and froze it for my lunches at work. A few minutes in the microwave and it is just as good as right out of the oven. 

Now, what goes better with lasagna than garlic toast?

How about some low carb, low cal cauliflower garlic toast?

Cauliflower Garlic "Breadsticks"

Ingredients

Bread

1 medium head cauliflower, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1/2 cup light mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper

Garlic Parmesan Butter

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 tsp garlic salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the shredded cauliflower into a large, microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 4 minutes and then stir the cauliflower. Microwave another 2 - 4 minutes, until cauliflower is softened.

Let cool. (You can speed this process by placing in freezer for 10 minutes.)

Stir in the minced garlic, egg, mozza cheese, and spices. 

Pat into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake approximately 20 minutes at 400 - until top is nicely browned.

Carefully flip the cauliflower crust over and continue to cook another 10 minutes. (I place another piece of parchment paper onto another cookie sheet and then invert the one cookie sheet onto the other.) 

Stir together the Garlic Parmesan Butter ingredients in a small bowl.

Carefully spread the butter mixture over the cauliflower crust. (If it seems to be tearing the cauliflower crust simply microwave it for a few seconds to melt it and then it will go on much easier!)

Place back in oven and turn on the broiler. Cook until cheese is bubbly. *Keep an eye on it*

Remove from oven and carefully- using the parchment paper - slide it onto a cutting board. 

Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

According to Myfitnesspal one serving is 143 calories, 8 carbs, 9 fat, 9 protein, 3 fiber. 

I cut the crust into 16 slices so 1 serving is basically 3 slices. 

It goes very well with the lasagna.

The entire meal was 530 calories, 28 carbs, 29 fat, 44 protein, 6 fiber. 

Not too shabby for a hearty, healthy, and (most importantly) delicious dinner.

You could totally fool the family into eating this lasagna and they will never guess it is vegetables. Like I said earlier, the garlic bread may be a harder sell, but it is still tasty and buttery and garlicky like garlic bread should be. If you are watching your carbs or calories or even doing gluten free then this is definitely a meal you want to try. 

 

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