Spaghetti Squash Pasta
This easy dinner is low-carb, high-protein, vegetarian, and doesn't dirty any pots or pans.
This easy dinner is low-carb, high-protein, vegetarian, and doesn't dirty any pots or pans. It's cheesy, creamy, and delicious!
So I had never heard of spaghetti squash until a couple of months ago when a sweet, older lady I know asked me if I wanted one. When I returned her offer with a face of extreme confusion she gave me a squash, some cooking instructions, and told me I should probably get my husband's help chopping it. I was a little offended (a feeling which I quickly rescinded after trying to take a cleaver to this resilient little jerk), but I went home and tried to figure out how what to do with it.
The internet mostly told me I should toss it with marinara sauce like it's pasta, but that just didn't sound right to me considering this is not pasta. You could maybe use it as a low-carb alternative to pasta, but squash doesn't taste like pasta. That doesn't mean it's bad! I love a good butternut squash ravioli, and those are usually served with a creamy, cheesy sauce and toasted nuts, so I figured I would try out that flavor combination!
I also wanted to make this dinner fuss-free, which usually means vegetarian! To add protein back into this, the sauce has blended cottage cheese to up the protein and the creaminess. If you are not keto or low-carb and are trying this recipe, I recommend serving it with some garlic bread!
On to the recipe!
Ingredients
- Spaghetti squash
- Olive oil
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
- Cheddar
- Nutmeg
- Parsley
- Walnuts
Prepare the Squash
Preheat oven to 400f. Chop both ends off of the spaghetti squash and cut in half longways. Remove the seeds and coat the inside with olive oil and salt. Bake skin-side-up for 40 minutes.
To prep the squash, I recommend cutting off the top and bottom of the squash and then slicing it in half lengthwise. I found this the easiest to handle, but I still used a really big knife. I then rub the cut side with olive oil and salt, place the skin side up on a baking sheet, and roast for about 40 minutes.
When the squash comes out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and then grab a fork and just start scraping out the insides. It amazed me how much it looked like spaghetti. It doesn't taste anything like spaghetti but it sure looks like the real thing!
Make The Sauce
Blend cottage cheese, milk, cheddar, nutmeg, and parsley until smooth. Toast the walnuts in a pan until lightly browned. Using a fork (and wearing oven mitts as the squash will be very hot), scrape the inside of each half of the spaghetti squash into two bowls. Mix half of the sauce into each bowl and top with walnuts.
Since this recipe is vegetarian and doesn't have a lot of protein without the cottage cheese, blending it into the sauce was a really important way to make this nutritious and filling. But we can't compromise on flavor, so there is a good amount of grated (very sharp) cheddar in the sauce too. The little bit of nutmeg compliments everything nicely, and the milk just helps with consistency.
I just put everything in the blender and it's finished! You don't even need to heat it, because when you mix it with the hot spaghetti squash, everything gets warmed through. That's right, one less dish to clean.
Spaghetti Squash Pasta Recipe
Download the recipe here
2
10 minutes
50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 small-medium spaghetti squash
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400f. Chop both ends off of the spaghetti squash and cut in half longways. Remove the seeds and coat the inside with olive oil and salt.
- Bake skin-side-up for 40 minutes.
- Blend cottage cheese, milk, cheddar, nutmeg, and parsley until smooth.
- Toast the walnuts in a pan until lightly browned.
- Using a fork (and wearing oven mitts as the squash will be very hot), scrape the inside of each half of the spaghetti squash into two bowls. Mix half of the sauce into each bowl and top with walnuts.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 2 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 373 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 21g | 27% |
| Saturated Fat 4.5g | 23% |
| Cholesterol 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium 554mg | 24% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6.1g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 5.1g | 18% |
| Total Sugars 9.1g | |
| Protein 24.7g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 1% |
| Calcium 320mg | 25% |
| Iron 2mg | 10% |
| Potassium 512mg | 11% |
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https://www.highfiberfoodie.com/one-pot-goat-cheese-pasta/
About the Author
Hi! I'm Alexandra, and I've been cooking and baking for about 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and your heart happy, without putting any food off limits, or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.
By Alexandra Massengale