by Texas Homesteader ~
Are you wondering what to do with that garden-fresh spaghetti squash? I like to cook it in the microwave & then shred the strands with a fork.
Then I sauté onions, garlic & bell pepper, add the cooked squash, mix it all with cheese and serve the cheesy spaghetti squash right in its own shell.
RancherMan will happily eat his squash… if I serve it lasagna style!
Recently I was gifted a freshly-harvested spaghetti squash from a sweet friend’s garden. YIPPEE! Of course I already knew what I was going to do with it.
I am apparently genetically unable to actually follow a recipe. LOL. So I’ll include the recipe below that I use as a guide.
But truly I use whatever’s being harvested in the garden when I make this dish. It’s a great way to use up those fresh garden vegetables. Sometimes I even dice up yellow summer squash & include it in the mix.
Wait, Squash *IN* the SQUASH?? Why that’s CRAZY talk!
Cooking My Spaghetti Squash
Anyhoo, here’s what I did today: First I cut the spaghetti squash in half longways and scooped out the seeds.
I placed the squash cut-side-down in a pie pan and added about 2 tablespoons of water. Then I covered it and placed it in the microwave on high for 10 minutes.
When the squash was cooked I allowed it to cool slightly then took a fork and scraped the squash into spaghetti-like strands.
Then I mixed in about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and mixed it in until the cheese melted.
Cooking The Other Veggies
Meanwhile I started preparing the veggies for the filling. I minced a clove of garlic & chopped some onion and bell pepper that I had in the fridge needing to be used.
It was all sautéed on my cast-iron griddle with just a touch of Bacon Grease.
After sautéing the veggies I added a chopped tomato and some freshly-harvested and minced oregano. Then I cooked it until the veggies were tender & the liquid was gone.
Putting It All Together
I had leftover pasta sauce from my homemade ravioli. So into a bowl I added squash strands, the leftover sauce & the sautéed veggies and stirred it all to mix.
If you don’t have leftover pasta sauce available, you can just use a jar of pasta sauce. You’re wanting just enough to coat the spaghetti squash strands. It will vary depending upon how saucy you like it and how big your spaghetti squash is.
Anyway, I placed the mixture into the hollowed-out squash shells and topped it with just enough shredded cheese to lightly-cover the top.
I like mozzarella but RancherMan wanted cheddar.
The filled squash shells were placed into a microwave-safe casserole dish and placed it in the microwave on high for 1 minute, just long enough to melt the cheese. VOILA!
A Versatile Recipe
There are of course lots of options for this recipe. But then again I’m sure you expected that since I never have a one-size-fits-all meal.
In the past I’ve added crumbled cooked ground meat for a little meatier fare. But tonight I just cooked the veggie version so I could use items in the fridge needing to be used. RancherMan and I both devoured it – absolutely delicious!
In case you’re the “follow the recipe” type, here’s the recipe I based tonight’s meal on.
I originally got a base recipe from allrecipes.com. But I’ve amended it over the years to make it into a recipe that fits us best. You feel free to do the same, ya hear??
Spaghetti Squash Cooked In Its Shell
This easy cheesy garden spaghetti squash recipe is simple to make and fun to eat. It's cooked in its own shell! We like to make it lasagna flavored but there are lots of easy ways to customize it for your family's tastes. #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1 purple onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 fresh tomato, chopped
- 1 can pasta sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Directions
-
Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place squash halves cut side down in a microwavable dish with a few tablespoons of water. Heat on high for 8-10 minutes.
-
Meanwhile in a skillet over medium heat add about 2 tablespoons olive oil & saute onion and garlic until golden brown. Stir in chopped tomato, seasoning and salt & pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid from the tomato cooks out. Stir in pasta sauce. Heat until warm.
-
Remove squash strands from cooked squash with a fork, reserving the shells. Stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and mix until blended. Add the veggie/tomato sauce from the skillet and mix again until thoroughly mixed. Spoon the mixture into the empty hollowed spaghetti squash shell and top with Parmesan cheese. Place filled squash shells in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 1 minute, or until cheese melts. Enjoy!
~TxH~
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I love how you pretty much adapt to whatever you have on hand. That’s very cost-efficient and smart over all. Also? This looks so delicious – need to try asap!
I’ve never tried Spaghetti Squash, I really want to now, it looks so good!!! Yum, you made me hungry, this would be a great lunch! I’m so happy you shared this at Sweet Inspiration!
This sounds really good! I’ve never had spaghetti squash and I’m afraid to grow it in case I don’t like it! lol
Thanks again for linking up with Green Thumb Thursday. I hope you’ll stop back this week!
Lisa
Well Lisa, if you ate it thinking it will taste like pasta you’d be disappointed. It tastes like squash cut thinly, but it’s a FUN way to eat your squash that’s for sure! We love i
It looks great I have never tied spaghetti squash I really need to
TMR,
We do this, too, but a bit differently! I think I like your way better…Thank you, dearie! this gives me another idea :0
Jacqueline, I love how this recipe lends itself to being as hearty or as lean as you like. And I doubly love how it causes RancherMan to eagerly eat his vegetables! LOL
Yum! I have never had spaghetti squash before. We do have plenty of summer squash though. I tend to follow recipes loosely and do a bit of winging it myself. Of course they may be why I have problems sometimes…lol.
Thanks for sharing!
~Ann
Looks absolutely beautiful. I’m looking forward to giving your recipe a try. Something tells me……..we just need to come cook with you to get the real recipes since you just cook and are brilliant at it without recipes. I love how this one won’t heat up the kitchen.
LOL Cristina – I almost never follow a recipe – I’ll use a recipe only as a base and amend based what we have in the fridge or in the garden that needs to be used. It’s one of the ways we’re able to get away with such little food waste, there’s almost always a way to incorporate things into a meal before those things go past their prime & have to be thrown out.
Oh that looks so yummy! I love squash of any kind and that looks really easy to make too. I am so guilty of copying recipes and then never fixing them…I hope this one I will remember!
that looks delicious. I cannot eat pasta and keep meaning to make more spaghetti squash. thanks for sharing the recipe.
Mmm… Pinned to try it sometime soon! Thanks so much for sharing all these great ideas with us this weekend at One Sharendipity Place!
sue@ thet2women.com
I’ve made spaghetti squash many times, but never like this. I look forward to trying this recipe! Visiting from the blog hop…
Yum! I love spaghetti squash and am looking forward to trying this recipe. Saved it on Pinterest!
Yum, yum!! What a great way to eat your veggies!! 🙂
I cook like you do, use what is available and tweak recipes to suit our tastes.