Cooking spaghetti squash always reminds me of when I lived with my friend Katrina. I had never heard of spaghetti squash before, and she was the one who introduced me to it. Now I swear by it, as it’s a low carb substitute for pasta. It doesn’t taste exactly the same, but I think they taste similar enough to curb a pasta craving. Spaghetti squash has a lighter taste and is more tender than pasta noodles, but it still pairs well with things you would normally serve with pasta.
When I’ve eaten spaghetti squash in the past, I’ve just cooked it up and served with sauce and meatballs of some sort. Recently Tim and I decided that we wanted to switch it up a bit, so we tried our hand at a spaghetti squash casserole.
Spaghetti Squash and Ricotta Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (we went with Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 2/3 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Marinara sauce, optional
Directions
For cooking the spaghetti squash…
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out and discard seeds.
- Place squash halves cut side up on pan. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for about 45 minutes or until a fork punctures the flesh of the squash easily.
- Remove squash from oven and allow it to cool slightly. Scrape the flesh from the squash into stringy “noodles.” Set aside for the casserole.
For cooking the casserole…
- Set oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray of choice.
- Mix all ingredients together with the cooked spaghetti squash and arrange in baking dish.
- Cook until bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.
- Serve with warm marinara sauce if desired.
- Enjoy!
The verdict? Loved! The ricotta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes added a lot of flavor to the normally mild taste of the spaghetti squash. It was fun to eat this squash in a different way than we normally do, and now I’m feeling inspired to experiment with some other new spaghetti squash recipes soon.
Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? What’s your favorite way to make it?
I like the lo-carb appeal of this dish but I’ve never been keen on squash. I wonder if very thin shreds of cabbage might work?
I’m not sure! I’m actually not a huge cabbage fan (we’re opposites!) so I would hate to recommend you using it only to have it not work. If you try let me know how it goes!
I like the lo-carb appeal of this dish but I’ve never been keen on squash. I wonder if very thin shreds of cabbage might work?
I’m not sure! I’m actually not a huge cabbage fan (we’re opposites!) so I would hate to recommend you using it only to have it not work. If you try let me know how it goes!
I will absolutely make this! Just have to make sure I buy spaghetti squash…. not butternut 😉
Yes! haha I remember your devastating facebook status that day.
I will absolutely make this! Just have to make sure I buy spaghetti squash…. not butternut 😉
Yes! haha I remember your devastating facebook status that day.
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Reblogged this on Recipe Reblog.
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My wife and I have a squash sitting out currently. I just sent her this recipe so we will see what happens for tomorrow night. 🙂
Let me know if you end up trying it!
My wife and I have a squash sitting out currently. I just sent her this recipe so we will see what happens for tomorrow night. 🙂
Let me know if you end up trying it!
This looks amazing! I’ve been on a spaghetti squash kick lately, but I have just been doing marina sauce/seasoning, and this definitely kicks it up a notch! I will have to try this next time I buy spaghetti squash, which knowing me lately will be very soon! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
This looks amazing! I’ve been on a spaghetti squash kick lately, but I have just been doing marina sauce/seasoning, and this definitely kicks it up a notch! I will have to try this next time I buy spaghetti squash, which knowing me lately will be very soon! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Wonder if I could use greek yogurt instead of ricotta? Hmmm, might have to try this tonight!
Maybe! The texture might be a little different? Let me know if you try with Greek yogurt instead.
Tried it last night and it was amazing!!! I used Fage greek yogurt.
Good to know for the future! We always have Greek yogurt on hand, but not so much ricotta. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Wonder if I could use greek yogurt instead of ricotta? Hmmm, might have to try this tonight!
Maybe! The texture might be a little different? Let me know if you try with Greek yogurt instead.
Tried it last night and it was amazing!!! I used Fage greek yogurt.
Good to know for the future! We always have Greek yogurt on hand, but not so much ricotta. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!