Spaghetti squash is one of those hearty, cool-weather veggies that is harvested in early fall. Lucky for us, we can usually get it year round in Georgia! It’s an awesome lower-carb substitute for pasta, and is so easy to make right in the oven. This recipe was inspired by one from eatwell101 with a few tweaks. It takes a little bit of time, about an hour or so, so be sure to plan ahead for this recipe! However, it is so easy that you won’t even mind having to wait a little bit for dinner to be served.
The best part about this dish is that you bake the sauce right in the spaghetti squash. By cutting the squash in half and scooping out the seeds, you create a little boat to hold and cook the creamy, cheesy sauce. Once cooked through, the squash easily shreds with a fork, and looks just like spaghetti noodles! This is a perfect at-home date night dinner – grab a bottle of wine & enjoy!
So I’ve taken a little time off from the blog in order to reevaluate what I want it to be. Then I came to the conclusion that I still don’t know the answer to that question, so I’ll just keep cooking! You may see some tweaks in the blog and recipe formats, and maybe some new additions to each post – like links to the kitchen tools I used for each at the end. Let me know what you like or dislike, as I’ll keep changing it until we get it right! That may never happen, and that’s okay.
Since the start of 2018, I’ve tried to make a few small changes. One is drinking more green smoothies – check out my Instagram page for more on those, and they’ll be coming to the blog soon! Another is adding yoga into my regular workout routine, and I think I’ve become addicted. I started with this 30 Days of Yoga on Amazon Prime, and would highly recommend it to anyone interested. Any other yogis out there have any tips for us beginners? Lastly, I started a Q&A-a-day journal, this one to be exact!, in which I answer a single and different question each day, every day, for 5 years. We’ll see if I keep it up that long, but it’ll be fun to look back on how answers may change over time.
Here’s my non-blog related thought of the week. We’ve had the same wreath on our front door since we moved in to our townhouse almost 2 years ago. Recently, as in the past week or two, a bird has started building its nest in our wreath! It’s our front door, and basically our only access point to the house. But it’s also pretty impressive, and I’d hate to ruin the bird’s hard work. I know we need to clean it up before the bird lays eggs on our front door, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Yeesh!
Enjoy!
- 1 spaghetti squash
- extra virgin olive oil for coating
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
- 1 cup half and half
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp parsley fresh
- 1 vegetable boullion cube crumbled
- 1 cup italian cheese blend shredded
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. Preheat oven to 375F
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. Slice the ends off your spaghetti squash, and cut it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
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. Lightly coat the inside of the squash with olive oil or cooking spray. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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. In a small bowl, mix together the half and half, minced garlic, dried thyme, fresh parsley, and crumbled boullion cube.
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. Now fill the spaghetti squash bowl! Add 1/4 of the shredded cheese to each squash, then split the creamy mixture evenly between them, and top with the remaining cheese.
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. Bake at 375F for 50-60 minutes or until brown, bubbly, and the squash is easily shredded with a fork. Let cool before diving in!
WHAT I USED:
STEP BY STEP PHOTOS:
Slice the top and bottom off the spaghetti squash, then cut it in half lengthwise. Use a big, sharp chef knife (like mine linked above!) to safely and easily cut through the entire squash. If it’s too tough, poke some holes in the squash with a knife and microwave it for 3-4 minutes to soften it. Be careful!
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon (save them for roasting, if you wish!) and season with olive oil, salt, and fresh black pepper.
Add your crumbled boullion cube, parsley, thyme, and minced garlic to a small bowl. Measure out your half and half, or any other milk substitute you’d like.
Add the half and half to your seasonings and mix well to combine.
Add 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese to each spaghetti squash half.
Pour the half and half mixture evenly between the two squash boats.
Then top with the remaining shredded cheese. I like some cheese around the edges, as it will get nice and bubbly brown in the oven! Bake at 375F for 50-60 minutes or until the squash shreds easily with a fork. Let cool before serving.
