A few days ago I was flipping through a food magazine and came across a recipe for baked spaghetti. Generally, when I make spaghetti it’s the traditional type. But, I was compelled to make a baked spaghetti with a slight twist. Hence the name, Spaghetti’d Squash. This is my take on a baked spaghetti.
Spaghetti’d Squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic, diced
- 6 baby carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chiffonade
- 1/2- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1-2 tsp oregano
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 medium or large spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp butter
- 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella
Start by making the spaghetti sauce. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrots, saute for a few minutes, then add garlic. Carefully crush the tomatoes with hands on a large bowl (avoid wearing a white shirt). Add tomatoes and wine to the saucepan and stir. Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, oregano, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Once the sauce reaches a boil reduce heat to low and add basil.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove all of the seeds. Place one tbsp of butter in each half. Cover with wax paper and microwave for 8-10 minutes. You don’t want to cook the squash completely — just enough to break it apart. Use a fork to pull the squash into strands. Add spinach to the sauce and stir until wilted. Remove sauce from heat.
Mix sauce and squash together. I added the sauce in sections because I wasn’t sure how much was needed. I ended up using all of the squash and sauce. After everything is mixed together place mixture in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Slice mozzarella and place on top of Squash mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Serves 6-8
Yeah! I’ve made vegan spinach lasagna with spaghetti squash and it was great! I found that it got super watery though…as the squash cooked, it released tons of water. I had to use a baster to suck all the water out a few times during baking.
I left the liquid alone when baking everything. It was a bit watery when I first cut the spaghetti but the liquid was absorbed by the time I placed everything in leftover containers.
This is such a great recipe. Thank you so much for sharing! :)
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s probably my favorite squash, so I’m attempting to grow my own this year. Hopefully I’ll be able to share some new recipes.
Add fresh broccoli (or any similar veggie) to the squash before you bake it! The broccoli will steam and absorb the excess water from the squash as it bakes, plus you get more veggies!