Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey

This spaghetti squash with ground turkey is made with a brown butter sauce, sage and walnuts for a flavourful meal prep friendly weeknight dinner.

Prep:
20
mins
Cook:
60
mins
TOtal:
80
mins
servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 1/2 to 4 lb)
  • extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup packed sage leaves plus 2 tbsp finely chopped sage
  • 6 tbsps unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup walnuts (raw)
  • freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Carefully cut the squash in half crosswise down the middle (not lengthwise). Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil, and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Arrange the squash, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Bake until the squash is cooked through and fork tender and the cut sides are golden, about 45 to 55 minutes. Flip the squash over to let the steam escape and allow them to cool. Gently use a fork to separate the insides and make strands. This can be prepped ahead to save time.
  4. While the squash is cooking, make the ground turkey. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and once hot, add the turkey and shallot. Cook, stirring to break up the meat and season with 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Once the turkey is just about cooked, add the garlic and the 2 tbsps of chopped sage and continue cooking for another minute or so until cooked through, about ten to 12 minutes total. Remove the turkey and set aside.
  5. Make the brown butter sauce. Heat up a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt, stirring constantly with a silicone whisk or spatula until bubbling and browned. It will start to smell nutty and look browned and foamy. Don’t stop stirring, it can easily burn. This should take about five to eight minutes total. Adjust the heat as needed to medium-low to avoid burning. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice once cool.
  6. In the same skillet used to cook the turkey, fry the sage leaves. Over medium heat, pour just enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the sage leaves and fry until crispy, flipping after about one minute or so. Remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
  7. Reduce the oven to 350ºF and toss the walnuts on the same baking sheet used to cook the squash. Toast until fragrant and lightly browned, about nine to ten minutes. Roughly chop and set aside.
  8. Combine everything! Add the spaghetti squash to a large bowl and drizzle with about half of the brown butter sauce and toss to combine. Divide onto plates or bowls and top with the ground turkey, walnuts, crispy sage and drizzle with the remaining butter. Garnish with parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper.