Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Bake (Low Carb)

This spaghetti squash pasta is so amazingly cheesy! With ground turkey, spinach and artichokes, it packed with veggies and protein and is bursting with all the textures and flavors. One serving is HUGE and just 186 calories! Great dish to prep for meal prep and eat all week!

I’ve been trying to think of how I can describe this dish, but all that keeps coming to mind is CREAMY. CHEESY. PASTA. Creamy, cheesy (like really, really really cheesy), pasta!

Technically there isn’t even real spaghetti in here, but I’m telling you, you won’t miss it! I used a mixture of spaghetti squash and Shiratake noodles. It is up to you if you want to just use spaghetti squash, use a mixture of the two, or even use real pasta!

When I say this bake is cheesy, I really mean it too. There are FIVE different cheeses in this recipe! Which really bring a variety of cheesy flavor and creaminess to this cheesy spinach and artichoke bake. I used a mixture of full fat, low-fat, and fat-free cheese too, just depending on what I had of each. But there is a lot of flexibility with this dish, so feel free to replace/experiment as you like! Just know that altering the recipe may change the nutritional informational listed below.

Also…. the parmesan and mozzarella cheese melted on top….best part. 🙌🏼

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CHEESY SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH BAKE

• It packs MAJOR VOLUME for LOW CALORIES – 1/8 of a 9 x 13″ baking dish of cheesy pasta for 186 calories? Oh heck yes!
• SO CREAMY AND CHEESY – cannot say that enough. It is in each bite and it is so good.
• Low carb, low fat, high protein – just see nutritional information below. Super macro friendly!
• Perfect when you are dieting – because it packs so much volume for such low calories, this bake is a dieter’s dream!
• Great for meal prep – prep once and eat for lunch or have ready for dinner for the week.
• It’s absolutely delicious! Seriously, I insight you try it! SUPER CHESSY PASTA GOODNESS!

INGREDIENTS

• Ground turkey – to kick the protein up! You can also use ground chicken, ground beef, shredded chicken, or any other protein of your choice.
• Spaghetti squash – great lower calorie, low-carb, gluten-free pasta alternative and so good! If you want, you can use normal pasta too (I do this when I make a batch for Simon 😂)
• Shiratake noodles – Shiratake noodles are low calorie long, white noodles often called miracle noodles or konjac noodles. They’re made from glucomannan, a type of fiber that comes from the root of the konjac plant. You can usually find them in your local grocery store next to the tofu, or you can order them off Amazon. My favorite are the Angel Hair Miracle Noodles! They are great to add to really pack more volume in this dish. But if you can’t find, or don’t want to use, you can just replace with more spaghetti squash, pasta, or leave out completely.
• Cottage cheese – I used low-fat. Fat-free or full-fat also work. The cottage cheese makes it a little cheesier, but you could also use plain Greek yogurt.
• Ricotta cheese – I used fat-free. You can also use low-fat or full fat. If you need to, you could also replace with more cream cheese.
• Cream cheese – I used fat-free. You could also use reduced-fat, full fat, Greek (neufchatel), or whipped cream cheese.
• Shredded mozzarella – I used reduced-fat here, but sometimes switch it up and use full-fat or a different kind of shredded cheese all together.
• Parmesan cheese – I used full-fat for the parmesan The parmesan really brings another dimension of flavor to this dish!
• Milk – I used low fat milk, but any milk will work!
• Baby spinach – fresh is best but you could always use frozen.
• Artichoke hearts – you can sub for something else if you would like or leave out completely.
• Seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and fresh ground pepper.

HOW TO MAKE

• Prep – Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  
• Cook the spaghetti squash – You can do this in the microwave or the oven.
  To cook in microwave: pierce the squash with a sharp knife in a couple of spots. Microwave for 5 minutes; then turn it to the other side and microwave it for 5 more minutes, until it’s soft to the touch.
  To cook in oven: follow instructions in my How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash post.
  
• Ground the ground – In medium-sized skillet, ground the turkey over medium heat. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste. Use a wooden spoon to chop up the turkey until small pieces as it cooks. Transfer to large mixing bowl when done.
  
• Prepare the Shiratake noodles – Drain and rinse the Shiratake noodles over the sink. Make sure to rinse thoroughly. Wipe the pan you cooked the turkey in (if needed) and spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sauté the noodles with salt and pepper on medium heat for about 5 minutes. This helps a ton with the flavor and texture of the noodles in the baked dish.
  
• Combine the ingredients – In the same large mixing bowl you added the turkey too, add the other ingredients for the bake, except the mozzarella: the cooked spaghetti squash strands, Shiratake noodles, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, milk, artichoke hearts, baby spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and ground pepper. (Note that you will either want the spaghetti squash or the turkey to be pretty warm for this part so that the spinach can wilt if you use fresh and the cream cheese can melt and mix evenly). Once the ingredients are well combined, fold in the mozzarella.
  
• Add to dish and bake – Add the spaghetti squash mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and garlic powder. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

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MORE SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPES

• BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE
• BUFFALO CHICKEN SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE
• TUSCAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH BAKE
• HOW TO COOK A SPAGHETTI SQUASH
• SPAGHETTI SQUASH STUFFING BAKE

WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you try this baked spinach and artichoke spaghetti squash bake and love it, please rate this recipe!

You can also tag me on Instagram, @LaurenFitFoodie. It makes my day seeing your yummy recreations!

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Yield: 8

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Bake

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This spaghetti squash pasta is so amazingly cheesy! With ground turkey, spinach and artichokes, it packed with veggies and protein and is bursting with all the textures and flavors. One serving is HUGE and just 186 calories! Great dish to prep for meal prep and eat all week!

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Bake:

• 1 lb. 99% lean ground turkey, raw
• 5 cups spaghetti squash strands (660g)
• 2 packages miracle (Shiratake) noodles, rinsed and drained well (340g)
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (117g)
• 1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese (62g)
• 4-oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened (112g)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (56g)
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk (60g)
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach (170g)
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, diced (130g)
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Garlic Cheese Topping

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (28g)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (56g)
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the spaghetti squash. You can do this in the microwave or the oven.
   To cook in microwave: pierce the squash with a sharp knife in a couple of spots. Microwave for 5 minutes; then turn it to the other side and microwave it for 5 more minutes, until it’s soft to the touch.
   To cook in oven: follow instructions in my How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash post.
3. In medium-sized skillet, ground the turkey over medium heat. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste. Use a wooden spoon to chop up the turkey until small pieces as it cooks. Transfer to large mixing bowl when done.
4. Drain and rinse the Shiratake noodles over the sink. Make sure to rinse thoroughly. Wipe the pan you cooked the turkey in (if needed) and spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sauté the noodles with salt and pepper on medium heat for about 5 minutes. This helps a ton with the flavor and texture of the noodles in the baked dish.
5. In the same large mixing bowl you added the turkey too, add the other ingredients for the bake, except the mozzarella: the cooked spaghetti squash strands, Shiratake noodles, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, milk, artichoke hearts, baby spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and ground pepper. (Note that you will either want the spaghetti squash or the turkey to be pretty warm for this part so that the spinach can wilt if you use fresh and the cream cheese can melt and mix evenly). Once the ingredients are well combined, fold in the mozzarella.
6. Add the spaghetti squash mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and garlic powder.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes

MFP entry: LFF Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Bake

*Makes 2050g total if choose choose to divide the bake differently.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1/8 of dish (256g)
Amount Per Serving Calories 186Total Fat 4.3gSaturated Fat 2.3gCarbohydrates 11.9gFiber 2.5gSugar 5.3gProtein 24.8g

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