Keto Spaghetti Casserole

Keto Spaghetti Casserole is the best comfort food you can make. It’s made with browned meat, Italian seasonings, marinara sauce, spaghetti squash, garlic, onions, and four kinds of cheese. It’s gluten-free, low-carb, and delicious!

We have always loved pasta at our house, but it’s not hard to figure out if you eat low carb, you can’t exactly indulge in a big helping of pasta. Instead, we have found wonderful and exciting alternatives that are just as comforting and delicious. 

Trust me; I get it if you are scared to try spaghetti squash. So many people are right there with you, and I was a little leery to try it myself. However, it’s majorly easy to cook, and the flavor is mild enough that you can mix it with any type of sauce successfully. When I saw the recipe for Million Dollar Spaghetti over at Yellow Bliss Road, I knew I had to make a low carb keto version.

It’s a fabulous way to enjoy all your favorite pasta dishes without all the carbs. Plus, this keto spaghetti casserole is going to impress even those hard-to-please people.

If you love this recipe, make sure to try my classic Keto Chicken Parmesan and my indulgent Chicken Parmo (similar to chicken parm but with white sauce and cheddar).

Ingredients

• Diced onions and minced garlic cloves – Both of these have so much flavor even in small quantities.
• Ground turkey or beef – Either protein option works well in this.
• Italian seasoning – Or use a combination of basil and oregano.
• Marinara sauce – Make sure to choose a variety with no added sugar or make your own with my keto marinara sauce recipe.
• Cooked spaghetti squash – Notes on how to cook are a little further down.
• Softened cream cheese – To kick this up an extra notch use garlic and chive flavored cream cheese.
• Ricotta cheese – I usually use whole milk ricotta but part-skim can work too.
• Grated parmesan cheese – Or any grated Italian cheese such as romano.
• Garlic powder – I love roasted garlic powder.
• Mozzarella cheese – If you can, shred your own to avoid additives.

How To Make Keto Spaghetti Casserole

First Step: Begin by greasing a 9” x 13” casserole pan and set it aside. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Second Step: Use a large skillet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Heat it over medium-high heat and saute the onions for three minutes. Add in the minced garlic cloves and saute for an additional minute or until it becomes fragrant. Then mix in the ground beef or turkey and use a spoon to break up the pieces and brown it. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the Italian seasoning and add the keto spaghetti sauce to the mixture. Combine and set aside. 

👉 Tip: The absolute best kitchen gadget for breaking up browning meat is a potato masher. Really! Give it a try.

Third Step: Mix together the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and one teaspoon of Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. Mix well. 

Fourth Step: Next, add half of the spaghetti squash to the bottom of the casserole pan. Spread it out, so it’s an even layer. 

Fifth Step: Next, spread out half of the cheese mixture on top of the cooked spaghetti squash. 

Sixth Step: Add the meat mixture on top of the cheese layer. 

Seventh Step: Sprinkle on half of the mozzarella cheese and repeat the layers. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until it’s hot all the way through. Broil for the final 2 minutes to make the cheese bubbly and toasted. 

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You may freeze this casserole for 2-3 months.

Variations

• Black Olives – Chop up a few black olives and add them to the meat mixture. So amazing!
• Mushrooms – If you love mushrooms in your pasta, don’t forget to add them to this keto spaghetti casserole. You can simply add it to the meat mixture for the best results. 
• Low Carb Noodles – There are more and more types of keto pasta on the market. If you try one in this recipe let me know!
• Sausage – Swap out the ground turkey or beef for some sausage. It’s an incredible flavor that you can’t resist. 
• Oregano – Sprinkle on some fresh oregano before serving. It will add a vibrance to the dish and tastes good too. 
• Meatballs – Change out the ground meat for meatballs. We like to use my keto turkey meatballs.
• Italian Sausage – Replace some or all of the ground beef with crumbled sausage.
• Spinach – You can use spinach in addition to the spaghetti squash or in place of it.

Make sure to try this palmini baked spaghetti next!

How Do You Cook Spaghetti Squash?

While there are several options for cooking spaghetti squash, one method that works well every time is oven roasting. You can simply cut it in half and get rid of the seeds. Then add a drizzle of olive oil and top with salt and pepper. You’ll need to pierce the squash with a fork and cook it upside down. It will usually take around 35-40 minutes to roast at 400 degrees. You will need to check it until it’s done, and you can easily scrape it, and it looks like spaghetti noodles. 

Another option is cooking it in a pressure cooker. This is normally the method I use. I half the spaghetti squash, remove the seeds, and cook it in my Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 4 minutes.

 

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Originally Published October 20, 2020. Revised and Republished January 2, 2026.