Swap Out Spaghetti Night For These Pesto Marinara Meatball Boats
Meet our new-unusual-italian (ish) dinner we are absolutely loving around here. As we transition from peaches and tomatoes, to a surcharge in pumpkin-spice everything, soups, and cozy dinners, you might consider adding this recipe to your menu plan throughout Fall. It’s a great way to swap out boring spaghetti, and instead incorporate the season’s best produce. What are some of your favorite ways to cook with squash? I personally find spaghetti squash exciting. It’s mainly used as a substitute for pasta, so I love getting creative with different sauces (because you know I love a good sauce). And these delicious pesto marinara meatball boats incorporate more than one..
My taste buds could not believe what they were enduring after this recipe was finished. Homemade nutty pesto, milky cheeses, and sweet italian sausage add such a depth of flavor that will kick boring spaghetti dishes to the curb.
I started to move forward with a rustic marinara, but with the homemade pesto, I found it was a nice shortcut to use store-bought
Another note I need to add, the instructions call for only one spaghetti squash (which will serve 3-4 people). If you’re cooking for more than that, grab another spaghetti squash to roast. There will most likely be meatballs leftover, which you can later serve with more spaghetti squash or regular pasta. If you know who you’re cooking for, you’ll probably be able to tell how much you need to serve. And we all know a good pasta needs crusty bread to soak up that delicious sauce (don’t skip it!) I used small garlic-coated crostini and it was perfect for scooping all the bits right out of the boat.
Spaghetti squash will never be boring again- embrace it while you can. Scroll on to find the recipe for these pesto marinara meatball boats and get cooking this Fall!
Pesto Marinara Meatball Boats
Ingredients
For the Spaghetti Squash
- 1 medium spaghetti squash sliced lengthwise, seeds removed
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground sweet italian sausage
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs gluten free, if desired
- 6 sprigs fresh oregano roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup packed basil roughly chopped
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 5 oz fontina cheese shredded
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce store bought, or homemade
- 1/2 cup kale pesto (see below)
For the Kale Pesto
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 bunch of kale stems removed
- handful of fresh basil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove minced
- pinch of red pepper flakes (more to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Spaghetti Squash
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Place the spaghetti squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the evoo and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Set aside.
For the Kale Pesto
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. (5-7 minutes).
- Combine the kale, basil, lemon juice, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. Start to pulse a few times to combine.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the evoo until everything is incorporated. Still leaving a few small chunks. Set aside.
For the Meatballs
- Combine the sausage, parmesan, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, basil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix with your hands, and use a cookie scoop to form in to meatballs.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet (if it starts to smoke heavily, drizzle in a bit of olive oil).
- Cook until all the meatballs are browned all over, about 10 minutes. Drain excess oil.
- Remove from heat and pour in the marinara sauce evenly across the pan, coating each meatball.
- Dollop 1/2 cup of the kale pesto across the skillet, in the crevices and on top of the meatballs, evenly distributing.
- Spread the fontina cheese over the top, then layer on the sliced mozzarella.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. (The meatballs should be cooked through).
- To serve, fluff the spaghetti squash with a fork. Spoon a couple scoops of meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti squash, and finish with more herbs and parmesan cheese.
- You can also remove all of the spaghetti squash to a bowl, and spoon the meatballs over the top of the squash. Store leftovers in the fridge.
- Enjoy!
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