PILE
1 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and pulp removed
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 can (28-ounce) tomato sauce
2 cans (4-ounce) tomato paste
1 can (28-ounce) diced tomatoes
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
Pinch of rosemary
1 tsp (5 ml) sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
TOPPINGS OF CHOICE
Italian sausage
Black olives
Salami
Pepperoni
Diced onions
Mushrooms
Diced bell peppers
Serves 4
Prep Day:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a glass baking dish, place the spaghetti squash halves cut-side down.
Fill the baking dish with water to about ½-inch up the sides of the squash.
Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until softened.
Meanwhile, make the spaghetti sauce. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and parsley, and stir to combine with the onion.
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, rosemary, sea salt, and pepper. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, let cool, and spoon the sauce into mason jars.
When the squash is done, remove it from the baking dish with tongs, and transfer it to a plate to cool.
Cook any toppings that need to be precooked, such as sausage, peppers, and mushrooms. When cool, place them in separate containers.
Separate the strands of spaghetti squash by running a fork from the stem end to the bottom of the squash, scraping as you go. Remove the loose strands, and place them in an airtight container.
Store the squash, sauce, and topping containers in the freezer until needed.
Serving Day:
Thaw the squash, sauce, and toppings in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, reheat the squash and toppings on the stovetop or in the microwave.
To assemble, place a spoonful of squash in a bowl and top it with spaghetti sauce and your favorite toppings. Enjoy the pizza flavor without the heavy crust!
More Recipes You'll Love
Pizza Pile layers all the flavours of pizza night into one glorious, crust-free casserole. Roasted spaghetti squash forms the base, topped with a rich homemade tomato sauce and every pizza topping you love — sausage, olives, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers — all baked until bubbling.
Pro Tips
- Roast the spaghetti squash cut-side down in a half inch of water for 30–40 minutes; the steam keeps the strands tender while the cut edges caramelise.
- Make the spaghetti sauce from scratch — tomato sauce, paste, and diced tomatoes with oregano, basil, and parsley simmered 30 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Let the sauce cool before building the piles so it mounds properly instead of running everywhere and making the squash watery.
- Load the toppings of choice — Italian sausage, black olives, salami, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, bell peppers — and let everyone build their own section.
- Squeeze the roasted squash strands dry-ish before piling; watery squash is the number-one enemy of a crisp-topped pizza pile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What toppings work for Pizza Pile?
Anything from a pizza menu: Italian sausage, black olives, salami, pepperoni, diced onion, mushrooms, and bell peppers all listed here. Pick your favourites and pile them high.
Is Pizza Pile paleo?
Yes: spaghetti squash instead of dough, a homemade tomato sauce, and your choice of clean toppings. Just check that your sausage and cured meats have no fillers or sugar.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Definitely — the sauce keeps 4 days in the fridge or freezes for months. It's a great batch-cook staple for quick pizza-pile nights.
How do I keep it from getting watery?
Roast the squash cut-side down, squeeze out excess moisture, and thicken the sauce properly with that 30-minute simmer before assembling.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- TOPPINGS OF CHOICE Italian sausage Black olives Salami Pepperoni Diced onions Mushrooms Diced bell peppers Serves 4 Prep Day: Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- In a glass baking dish, place the spaghetti squash halves cut-side down. Fill the baking dish with water to about ½-inch up the sides of the squash.
- Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until softened.
- Meanwhile, make the spaghetti sauce.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and parsley, and stir to combine with the onion.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, rosemary, sea salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, let cool, and spoon the sauce into mason jars.
- When the squash is done, remove it from the baking dish with tongs, and transfer it to a plate to cool.
- Cook any toppings that need to be precooked, such as sausage, peppers, and mushrooms.
- When cool, place them in separate containers. Separate the strands of spaghetti squash by running a fork from the stem end to the bottom of the squash, scraping as you go.
- Remove the loose strands, and place them in an airtight container. Store the squash, sauce, and topping containers in the freezer until needed.
- Thaw the squash, sauce, and toppings in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to cook, reheat the squash and toppings on the stovetop or in the microwave. To assemble, place a spoonful of squash in a bowl and top it with spaghetti sauce and your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy the pizza flavor without the heavy crust!
