5 Ingredients or Fewer

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

by:
June  1, 2011
4.7
3 Ratings
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

The first time I made this was a happy accident—I had intended to put melted butter, salt, and pepper on the cut squash for roasting, but I had a major mental lapse and accidentally put turbinado sugar on the squash instead. Fortunately, I loved it, and this is how I make it now.

Sometimes I use brown sugar instead. I think the key is just to use a darker sugar, and then top it with loads of Parmesan. It’s the sweet/salty combination that I think is fantastic. I eat this by the bowlful come autumn. —checker

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Checker is a Food52er living in the nation’s capital.
WHAT: A way to eat spaghetti squash and be thrilled about it.
HOW: Roast the halved squash with melted butter and turbinado sugar in a hot oven until the skin starts to blister. Use a fork to separate its strands, top it with Parmesan cheese and eat it like spaghetti.
WHY WE LOVE IT: When you think spaghetti squash do you think snoozefest? So did we, but that was before we tried this cheesy and sweet version. It's buttery, salty, and slightly sugary -- the perfect way to wake up this potentially bland winter squash. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar, more to taste
  • 1 handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 pinch Salt, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400° F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  3. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
  4. Brush the inside of the squash liberally with the melted butter and sprinkle a bunch of sugar all over the insides, too.
  5. Place the squash cut side down on the foil-lined baking sheet, and brush a little of the butter over the skin.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the skin of the squash is starting to show some brown blisters.
  7. Use a fork to scrape out the strings of squash, loosening it so that it's a spaghetti-like consistency.
  8. Toss with plenty of grated Parmesan, season with salt, and serve.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Pamela Turner
    Pamela Turner
  • Bevi
    Bevi
  • mrslarkin
    mrslarkin
  • taxidog
    taxidog
checker

Recipe by: checker

Someone once said, "the wise man knows that he knows nothing at all." Therefore if I spend my days seeking knowledge than I am simply trying to be a better fool. Hopefully I will eat well along the way.

Popular on Food52

4 Reviews

Pamela T.
Pamela T. December 11, 2019
This was very enjoyable. I was a tad skeptical on the quantity of sugar so had cut back slightly. Though next time, I would go with the full 4 tablespoons as the Parmesan tempers the sweetness nicely. (Bonus was spooning up the pool of melted butter and turbinado sugar off the pan... kind of like a personal serving of caramel!)
 
Bevi
Bevi April 14, 2018
This was great! I used less sugar and about 3 TBL. Butter. Fresh grated parm made this sing! What a great and easy meal with a salad or soup. Next time I will add some roasted broccoli or cauliflower.
 
taxidog
taxidog October 2, 2015
This was great! The sweetness, the salty umami- yum. Hare's to happy accidents! It all makes sense; squash can go sweet or savory. Why not both? I had some leftovers in the fridge (minus the parm) and on a whim, warmed it up with a bit more Demerara sugar and a bit of fresh nutmeg and ate it with my oatmeal. Amazing. There will be a lot more spaghetti squash in my future. Thanks for the inspiration, Checker!
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin October 28, 2014
Hooray, checker! I've made this a few times, and loved it.