Creamy Spinach & Spaghetti Squash Bake with sautéed spinach, red pepper, garlic, and three kinds of cheese.
Confession time. This week I cooked my very first spaghetti squash. Truth! I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to try this curious vegetable that believes that it is pasta, but let me tell you that this time will not be my last.
Once cooked, the flesh of the spaghetti squash can be separated into spaghetti-like strands by simply scraping it with a fork . One three-pound squash will make enough “squaghetti” to equal around a pound of pasta noodles.
Creamy Spinach & Spaghetti Squash Bake combines fresh “squaghetti” noodles with sautéed spinach, red bell pepper, and garlic plus three kinds of cheese to create a rich, yet delicate dish. Spaghetti squash noodles can be substituted in many other pasta dishes or served topped with regular pasta sauce (saving you loads of carbs!), so what’s not to love?!
Creamy Spinach & Spaghetti Squash Bake
Ingredients
- 1 3-pound spaghetti squash
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cups spinach chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- dash of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice spaghetti squash in half length-wise. Scoop out seeds and place cut side down in a glass baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup water into dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes. With a fork gently shred the pulp from the inside of the squash and set aside.Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.
- On top of stove, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and red bell pepper and sauté just until spinach is wilted. Add garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Gently stir in cream cheese until melted. Add the spaghetti squash and stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish that is lightly coated with cooking spray. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned.
Heather B says
October 29, 2016 at 9:16 pmMade this tonight! It was our first time where we actually enjoyed eating spaghetti squash! Definitely a keeper!
sheilathigpen says
October 30, 2016 at 7:18 amOh, thank you, Heather! Glad your family enjoyed it!
Gretchen says
December 14, 2016 at 5:41 pmHi. Just made this in oven baking now. I actually added some cooked chicken to it as well can’t wait to try it.
sheilathigpen says
December 14, 2016 at 6:02 pmGretchen, that sounds like a great idea!
CC says
February 7, 2017 at 7:14 pmI added sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, prawns and immatation crab. SO good!
sheilathigpen says
February 7, 2017 at 7:16 pmCC, that sounds amazing!
Kim says
March 2, 2017 at 3:44 pmWow! This is AWESOME! I’ve been on a ketogenic diet for a few months, and this meal just hits the spot and tastes so indulgent! Thank you for sharing this!
sheilathigpen says
March 2, 2017 at 3:53 pmThank you, Kim! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sandra says
April 18, 2017 at 7:19 pmI made this tonight and, oh my goodness, it was absolutely excellent. I used Italian Blend Cheese because I didn’t have Mozzarella but it was still good.
sheilathigpen says
April 18, 2017 at 7:45 pmOh, Sandra, I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
TxQuax says
February 9, 2018 at 10:25 pmThank you for posting this recipe, I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful…!! I am NOT a good cook, but this dish came out beautifully and I have never eaten spaghetti squash before much less cooked it, but I am now a believer! In fact, I don’t care for any squash and only cooked it as I am trying eat lower carb and more veggies. We did want a protein so I added Italian Sausage and all came out great. Thank you again!
sheilathigpen says
February 10, 2018 at 9:58 amOh, I love the idea of adding Italian sausage to this dish! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Gabby says
June 26, 2018 at 10:11 pmThis was absolutely incredible! We added mushrooms and yellow squash to make it the perfect vegetarian meal. It was pretty easy to make and all the ingredients went together really well. We added breadcrumbs on top for a little crunch. We will definitely be making this again.
Melissa says
October 15, 2018 at 1:58 pmExcellent recipe! I mixed all the mozzarella into the sauce, rather than on top. It reminds me of a spinach artichoke dip with sustinece. I will keep this one on rotation with my farmer’s market finds. This week was heavy on garlic and fresh basil.
Cathy says
December 14, 2018 at 5:12 pmMade this last week and my husband loved it! Thanks for a great recipe
sheilathigpen says
December 15, 2018 at 1:06 pmWow! So glad it was a hit!
Mecca says
April 19, 2019 at 7:45 pmFollowed just as directed and this was delicious, delicious, delicious. I gave spaghetti squash a try before and didn’t like it but this recipe made me give it another try and I loved it. Thanks
Sheila Thigpen says
April 20, 2019 at 1:32 pmYes, this is sooo good! Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe 🙂
Stephanie says
May 19, 2019 at 4:37 pmThis is wonderful. I added Italian turkey sausage and doubled the recipe and I will make it a million times over.