Cheesy Garlic Spaghetti Squash

Looking to get more veggies in your diet?  This Cheesy Stuffed Spaghetti Squash gives you a big serving of veggies combined with some cheese and tasty seasonings for a delicious vegetarian meal!

Believe or not until about year ago I’d only had only had spaghetti squash a few times.  It was one of those things that always sounded good to me but never quite made sense.  Then I came across this recipe from EatWell101.com and decided I needed to try it.  How can anyone resist all that cheesy goodness?!  This stuffed Cheesy Garlic Spaghetti Squash really is the perfect fall veggie! 

So I had a few friends over, one who’s a big spaghetti squash fan and we gave the recipe a try.  While we loved the flavors and concept, I’ve made a number of modifications to make the prep a bit easier and make it a little lighter.  Overall it’s definitely become one of my new favorite fall obsessions!

Spaghetti squash takes a while to cook, so while it's efficient to stuff it and cook it at the same time, it increases the cooking time and I find it a little bit more difficult to get create the "spaghetti" part when you have a bunch of ingredients already inside the squash.  So I prefer to cook the squash first then make the spaghetti, add the seasonings and put it back into the squash to bake it all together to finish it up.

The magic of spaghetti squash is that it goes with just about anything!  If you are are on a low-carb kick it's the perfect substitute or stand-in for your favorite pasta and it's a great way to get more veggies in your diet while still having a nice dose of comfort food!  With only xx minutes of prep time, I definitely recommend adding this recipe to your weekly fall and winter meal planning!  Get in the kitchen and give this tasty vegetarian meal a try ASAP!

Tips for Cooking Spaghetti Squash

The best thing about cooking spaghetti squash is that it takes almost no prep work!  Just slice it in half, scoop out the seeds, season with salt & pepper, drizzle with olive oil and pop it in the oven to roast.  There are a few things that will make your life a little easier.  You can start by softening the squash in the microwave for 3-4 minutes which makes cutting it in half easier.

And transforming it into spaghetti after it's cooked?  A piece of cake!  No special tools required, just a fork and about 5 minutes to get those nice spaghetti-like tendrils.  The finished product has a similar texture to angel hair pasta, though it's still got that nice earthy squash tastes that will enhance the flavor of this dish.

Just 10 minutes to prep, what could be easier!

additional notes from the kitchen

• Once cooked the squash will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator.  If you know you are not going to eat it until later you can make the spaghetti and then refrigerate, coming back to finish the final baking the next day.  If you are doing this you'll need to add another 15 minutes or so of cook time to ensure everything gets warm and bubbly.
• If you want to get a little fancy you can convert this into a casserole.  After you combine the squash with the cheese mixture put it back into a baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake according to recipe instructions.
• Looking for other tasty vegetable side dishes?  Check out this Miso Glazed Roasted Cauliflower or these Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Honey & Ricotta.

things you may want for this recipe

Chef's Knife –  A large, sharp chef's knife is a key kitchen tool.  My preference is a 6" or 8" inch knife so it's easy to handle yet still works for tough jobs like cutting this spaghetti squash in half.

Cheesy Garlic Spaghetti Squash

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

Looking to get more veggies in your diet?  This Cheesy Stuffed Spaghetti Squash gives you a big serving of veggies combined with some cheese and tasty seasonings for a delicious vegetarian meal!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 10 mins

Course Main Courses

Servings 2

Calories 325 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ¼ cup Italian four cheese blend, divided
• ¼ cup half and half
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  
• Using a sharp knife, cut the top off of the squash then microwave for 3-4 minutes to slightly soften the squash.  Cut in half lengthwise.  
• Scoop the seeds out of the inside.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Place face down on the lined baking sheet.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  
• While the squash is baking mix 1 cup of the cheese, half & half, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.  
• When the squash is done baking, let it cool for about 15 minutes.  Then using fork scrape the squash lengthwise to form the spaghetti strands.  Add the squash to the cheese mixture and mix well until everything is combined. 
• Scoop the mixture back into the squash.  Depending on the size of the squash and your preference, you may be able to get all of it into one half of the squash.  Return the squash to the baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Top with chives and serve immediately.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 of a squashCalories: 325kcal

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