Did you know that Italian food happens to be one of my favorite things on this planet? No? Well now ya do! I also happen to love casseroles, so combine the two and I’m in heaven. This recipe is so full of flavor, and is super easy to whip up, plus it makes amazing leftovers.
Most people tend to think that I cook every night. Tis not the case, my friends! I basically live off of leftovers. I cook three days a week, maybe. Mostly it’s for my blog, so it’s almost always experiments happening in my kitchen. Thankfully I kinda know what I’m doing by now. 😉 Rule number one in my house – never, ever make a single batch of anything. That’s exactly why I doubled this recipe! Feel free to do the same, just use a 9×13” pan as shown in my photos.
Enjoy this recipe!
Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the casserole:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
- 1 small spaghetti squash (approximately 4 cups)
- 2 ounces pepperoni, chopped
- 18 ounces diced tomatoes
- 18 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Italian seasoning (feel free to adjust to your taste buds)
- 1 cup packed basil leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 eggs, whisked
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Place the squash face down on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the skin is soft and the threads of the squash come out easily with a fork. Reduce the heat of your oven to 350 degrees.
- While the spaghetti squash is baking, let’s prepare the meatballs! Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well, using your hands. Form the meat mixture into meatballs, large or small, your choice.
- Heat the olive oil/ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until golden brown. Flip the meatballs and cook the other side until cooked through. Add the pepperoni to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper to the pan. Stir the mixture well. Add the spaghetti squash noodles and stir again to combine. Add the eggs to the pan, giving it one final stir to make sure the mixture is well combined.
- Pour the spaghetti mixture into a 9x9” dish. (FYI – I placed the meatballs on top of the casserole for the photos, but this step isn’t necessary). Bake for 45-60minutes, or until the casserole has set. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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This looked so yummy and easy too. I just shared on FB. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks so much, Kelley! I appreciate the share!
WOW GIRL THIS IS UNREAL! You are so awesome 🙂
Thanks so much, Meg!! Can’t wait to see the recipes that you create on your new site! 🙂
Hi there! Can you hues image how many cups of spaghetti squash you used?? Thanks!
Sorry- guesstimate how many cups. Autocorrect was not my friend there!!
Hahah, autocorrect is never my friend 😉 I would guess around 4 cups of spaghetti squash. Hope that helps!
About how many servings would you say this is in a regular batch versus a double batch? I like to make casseroles that can last for four servings (just cooking for myself) I think I squealed when I saw this because it looks absolutely delicious so I am excited to try this out! Your recipes on Whole30 all this week on instagram look phenomenal so I really appreciate you!
Hi Delaney! So happy to hear you’re enjoying my posts! I’d say a single batch of this casserole is about 6 servings, although this recipes does freeze great as well! 🙂
Do the meatballs need to be baked? Or was your last point that they were just placed on top for the photos? Thank you!
Hi Suzanne! They meatballs can either be placed on top or mixed inside the casserole while it’s baked – but they are baked into the casserole either way 🙂
Thank you so much! I cannot wait to try!
If you freeze this do you bake it first? Or freeze it uncooked then thaw and bake?
Hi Jessica! To freeze this casserole, prepare and bake it as directed in the recipe, and then let it cool. Once cooled, wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. You can also find my full directions for freezing meals here – https://livinglovingpaleo.com/2017/01/15/make-ahead-freezer-meals/
Hi! We have an egg yolk allergy in our house. Do you think it would be a big deal to leave the eggs out of the casserole? I’m not as worried about taking the egg out of the meatball as I’ve made that adjustment before.
The eggs are actually what hold it together to form a casserole – but you could always just enjoy it as is without the eggs, it’ll just be more like regular spaghetti & meatballs. 🙂
Calories per serving?
How do you thaw and reheat this dish from frozen?
Here’s a guide to freezing/re-heating any dish! – https://livinglovingpaleo.com/make-ahead-freezer-meals/