Perfectly cooked spaghetti squash and sauteed mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce topped with creamy goat cheese, nutty parmesan, and sweet cherry tomatoes. Serve as a side dish or add your protein of choice for a one-dish meal. | Healthy Spaghetti Squash Recipes

Ohhh spaghetti squash, how I despise thee. Yes, that’s right I do not care for spaghetti squash…usually. In my experience, it makes tomato sauce too watery, it can be hard to cut and its spaghetti-like strands don’t really taste like pasta at all! But I know that it’s healthy for me, and inexpensive at the grocery store, so I decided to go on a quest to cook spaghetti squash in a delicious way with simple ingredients that my whole family would enjoy. This recipe has a creamy sauce that’s full of garlic, savory flavors, and although vegetarian is hearty enough to be a main dish for any family. It’s an easy way to get a lot of veggies in one meal.

How do you cook spaghetti squash?

There are three methods that work well: the oven, the microwave, and the instant pot. I typically use the microwave. This method is fast, easy, and you can easily check the squash during cooking to ensure that it’s not getting overcooked and mushy.

How to cook spaghetti squash in the microwave | Step-by-step instructions

Use a sharp knife and cut the squash crosswise through the center this will ensure that you end up with long strands of “noodles.”
Scoop out the seeds from the center of the squash and discard them.
Place the squash cut side down in a shallow glass baking dish with about 1″ of water in the bottom.
Microwave for 8 minutes.
Check the squash for doneness. The squash is done when the strands easily come away from the skin when scraped with a fork.
If the flesh does not easily come away from the skin, microwave for 2-3 minutes and test again.
Continue this process until the squash is done. Let it cool.
Once the squash is cool, take a fork and remove all of the strands from the skin.

What Does Spaghetti Squash Look Like?

If you’ve never cooked with spaghetti squash before the inside of the squash looks like this:

Cut in half and scoop out the seeds before cooking.

Place the spaghetti squash cut side down in a dish with a little water.

Once it’s cooked it can be removed from the outer skin with a fork and it looks a lot like strands of spaghetti!

Do you like spaghetti squash?

A lot of people do! Okay, I’m going to level with you typically I am not a fan. Its mild flavor did not do much for me. The first few times I tried to cook spaghetti squash it was a soggy mess. Tomato sauce on top, squishy squash noodles in the middle, and a big puddle of water on the bottom. It was not good. I walked away from spaghetti squash for a while after that, but it’s healthy and cheap and I kept wondering if I could make a recipe with it that I would love. Well, after several recipe trials, finally I found it. This is one of those great recipes we just want to make over and over. Spaghetti squash smothered in a creamy garlic sauce, mixed with sauteed mushrooms and shallots, and topped with flavorful goat cheese and salty parmesan. If you like things a little more spicy you could add some red pepper flakes too.

Now onto the recipe…

Ingredients

1 medium whole spaghetti squash cooked with the flesh removed
olive oil
1 small shallot
1 oz container crimini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
Flour for gluten-free Use any GF flour or thickener you like
whole milk or half and half; for a dairy-free option use oat milk
Salt to taste
grated parmesan cheese plus extra for topping (OPTIONAL)
goat cheese, for the top. It adds so much flavor!
Parsley chopped, OPTIONAL Fresh basil would be good too!
a few cherry tomatoes diced, OPTIONAL. Sun-dried tomatoes wouldn’t be bad either!
Black pepper, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat a stainless steel saucepan or large skillet on medium-low heat. While it’s preheating, finely dice the shallot and mince the garlic. Set them aside separately.
Add the olive oil (or you could use unsalted butter) to the pan. Then add the diced shallot. The shallot should cook until it’s softened, about 3-4 minutes.
While the shallot is cooking, wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel or paper towel to clean the dirt off of them. Once they are clean, cut them into slices and set them aside.
Once the shallot is softened, add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir once and let the mushrooms sit for a minute to develop a brown color. Then stir again. If the pan looks dry add more olive oil 1 Tablespoon at a time.
When the mushrooms have cooked down a little and developed a little brown color, add the garlic to the pan. Let that cook for about 30 seconds*There should be a little excess oil in the pan, if there isn’t – add 1-2 more tablespoons of olive oil.*
To create the cream mixture, add the flour to the pan. Then add salt and pepper to taste. Stir it around to coat the vegetables. Let that cook for about a minute stirring regularly.
Turn the heat to low, and add the milk to the pan. Stir the mixture really well to break up any clumps of flour. Scrape the bottom of the pan with your spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken.
To the pan add the spaghetti strands from the cooked squash and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until all of the ingredients are well combined. Turn off the heat.
To serve: Add the spaghetti squash to a bowl and top with the fresh goat cheese, parsley (or any Italian herbs), more parmesan, and tomatoes if desired. Now go enjoy your delicious meal!

Notes

*IF you want to make this recipe DAIRY FREE and prefer plant milk, substitute oat milk for the milk and omit the parmesan cheese.

How do I store leftover spaghetti squash?

It can be stored in an airtight container for 5-6 days. When you’re ready for more, just heat and eat and top with your favorite toppings.

RECIPE CARD

Print Pin