This post includes a recipe on how to make oven roasted spaghetti squash. The vegetable side dish is the perfect addition to lunch, dinner or holiday meals. I like baked spaghetti squash topped with a bit of melted butter (or vegan margarine), nutmeg, salt and pepper. You can also use it as the basis for a vegan or vegetarian main dish – topped with your favorite tomato sauce and a bit of freshly chopped basil.
Vegetarian Side Dish
My daughter decided to become a vegetarian a few years ago. I am always looking for vegetarian recipes and vegan snacks that I think she will enjoy. I have been making baked spaghetti squash for many years, so I decided to make it for my daughter and see if she would enjoy it – and she did!
If you are looking for a lower carb vegetable, vegan, vegetarian side dish this recipe for oven roasted spaghetti squash is the perfect option. One cup of cooked pasta contains approximately 220 calories and 42 grams of carbohydrates. Compare that to the nutritional value of cooked spaghetti squash – with about 10 grams of carbs and only 42 calories per 1 cup serving.
Of course, the calorie counts for both pasta and spaghetti squash are before adding any toppings or sauces. Fewer calories and lower carbs makes this vegetable the perfect substitute for regular pasta made with white flour.
Perfect Sweet or Savory Vegetable Dish
Spaghetti squash, like most squashes, has a slightly sweet taste and is complimented with a variety of sweet spices such as Chinese five spice powder, nutmeg or allspice. Before placing the squash in the oven, I like to sprinkle a bit of freshly ground black pepper, course sea salt and nutmeg over the top before baking it in the oven.
I have tried serving spaghetti squash with tomato sauce but didn’t care for it – the squash is a bit sweet compared to pasta so my taste buds thought the tomato flavor clashed with the squash flavor. So, I will probably stick to regular, whole-wheat or even gluten-free pasta whenever I’m craving a tomato sauce pasta dish.
Let me know if you decide to make this recipe for oven roasted spaghetti squash with melted butter and nutmeg. If you have any recipe ideas that you’d like to share with The Creative Cottage, reach out to me and I just might feature your culinary creations in a future article! Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net if you’d like to talk about possible guest blogging opportunities.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
Sloth Athletica
Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1 whole spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half and use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp. Cleaning a spaghetti squash is similar to how you would clean out the inside of a pumpkin before carving it.
- Spray a large baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Place the spaghetti squash, flesh side up, on the bottom of the pan.
- Brush each half of the squash with a bit of the olive oil then sprinkle with the salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
- Place the squash in your pre-heated oven and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the squash. You want to cook the spaghetti squash until it is tender.
- Remove the squash from the oven and place on wire racks to cool slightly.
- Use a large fork to scrape the squash out of it’s shell. It should pull apart into short strings which look a bit like spaghetti.
- Add the squash to a mixing bowl and add a tablespoon or two of melted butter or vegan margarine.
- Taste the squash and season to taste with additional salt, pepper and nutmeg if desired.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
+ There are no comments
Add yours