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Baked Spaghetti Squash

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” – Jim Davis

Who here loves to eat carbs? While I can’t actually see an audience, I’m sure almost every hand would have gone up. Pasta, bread, rice – these are only a few of the many refined carbs we love to eat but are often associated with health problems, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Over the past few years, low carb replacements have become very popular in North American kitchens. One of the most prominent has been spaghetti squash, a vegetable full of antioxidants and other amazing health benefits. In addition to aiding in weight loss, this vegetable helps with lowering cholesterol levels, improving eye sight, preventing birth defects, and promoting cardiovascular health. Furthermore, spaghetti squash has proven to be great for prostate health and in fighting both cancer and arthritis! 

Baked Spaghetti Squash

Squash those calories away!

While some of you may be searching for a pasta replacement, others may just be looking to improve their health. Either way, I suggest that you give spaghetti squash a try! In fact, here’s an easy recipe for you to test out.

Baked Spaghetti Squash

For cooking the squash in the oven:

Set your oven to 375°F/190°C. Line your baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with olive oil. Cut the squash in half so that you get a deeper bowl than cutting it lengthwise. Cutting the squash this way makes it more stringy and more comparable to spaghetti. Scoop all the seeds out of the bowls. Drizzle olive oil on the fleshy side of the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place the squash on the pan, flesh side down, and bake until tender, about 35-45 minutes.

For cooking the squash in the microwave:

Poke a bunch of holes in the squash with either a pairing knife or a fork. Place the squash on a plate and microwave for 15 minutes, rotating in 5 minute intervals.

While the squash is cooking…

Gather up all your fresh ingredients: mushrooms, tomato, spinach, and garlic. Chop up the vegetables to prepare for baking in a casserole dish later with the squash. 

Colourful Mixed Tomatoes

I love using a mix of tomatoes because it adds so much colour into any dish. As for the mushrooms, I prefer to add a variety of mushrooms to most recipes so I can add a more complex combination of flavours. In this recipe, I chose to just stick with two kinds: oyster and field mushrooms. 

Mixed mushrooms

Now that your squash is ready…

After allowing your cooked squash to cool down, scrape the flesh out with a fork. Try to be gentle enough to keep the squash stringy. Mix the spaghetti squash, veggies, herbs, 1/2 of the Parmesan, and salt & pepper to a casserole dish. Drizzle some olive oil and top with the rest of the Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F/190°C. Once it’s done, drizzle some truffle oil on top!

Baked Spaghetti Squash

Bon appetit! 
Baked Spaghetti Squash
Serves 4
How to cook spaghetti squash & a recipe for baked tomato, spinach & mushroom truffle spaghetti squash
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 spaghetti squash (2-3 pounds)
  2. 1 cup of mushrooms, chopped
  3. 2 cups of baby spinach, chopped
  4. 1 cup of tomatoes, chopped
  5. 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  6. 1 cup of grated Parmesan
  7. 1/2 tsp of Italian herbs
  8. 1 tsp of truffle oil
  9. 2-3 Tbs of olive oil
  10. Pepper & salt to taste
For cooking squash in the oven
  1. Set your oven to 375°F/190°C. Line your baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with olive oil.
  2. Cut the squash in half so that you get a deeper bowl than cutting it lengthwise. Cutting the squash this way makes it more stringy and more comparable to spaghetti. Scoop all the seeds out.
  3. Drizzle olive oil on the fleshy side of the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Place the squash on the pan, flesh side down, and bake until tender, about 35-45 minutes.
For cooking squash in microwave
  1. Poke a bunch of holes in the squash with either a pairing knife or a fork.
  2. Place the squash on a plate and microwave for 15 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.
Tomato, Spinach & Mushroom Truffle Spaghetti Squash
  1. Set your oven to 375°F/190°C.
  2. After cooking your squash and allowing it to cool, pull the flesh out with a fork.
  3. Mix the spaghetti squash, mushrooms, tomato, spinach, garlic, herbs, 1/2 of the Parmesan, and salt & pepper to a casserole dish. Drizzle some olive oil and top with the rest of the Parmesan.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes and then drizzle with truffle oil.
Notes
  1. If cooking the squash in the oven, the total time would be 1h 15m.
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