This cheesy baked spaghetti squash casserole is a winner! It features Italian flavors: pesto, artichoke, mozzarella and parmesan.
Are you a spaghetti squash fan? But honestly, who wouldn’t be a fan of these long, plain noodles? Spaghetti squash ends up in all sorts of dishes that squash wouldn’t have eaten dead decades ago. Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese. Pad Thai with spaghetti squash. And here’s Alex and my newest creation: Spaghetti Squash Casserole! This casserole is an Italian take on the traditional, with basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and parmesan. It’s really filling and satisfying. (Our 2 year old has been everywhere!) Ready to go?
Spaghetti Squash Casserole: Italian!
There are all sorts of variations on spaghetti squash casserole: this version uses Italian flavors to make it a flavorful, savory, and cheesy version. Here are the main features:
- Basil pesto is swirled into the pumpkin noodles, making for an overall garlicky flavor.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese creates sticky pockets and grated parmesan cheese brings texture and an even tastier taste.
- Artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes Bring in an element of Italian spice.
Is it a main course or a side dish?
One important question before we begin: is this spaghetti squash casserole a main dish or a side? It’s really the same question as macaroni and cheese. This casserole would be a great side dish for entertaining. We could imagine it on the table at a pitch-in or a potluck with other savory side dishes. This would be perfect for holiday meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but it really works whenever spaghetti squash is in season. It’s a great vegetarian and gluten-free casserole option that suits a variety of diets.
However, this casserole takes quite a long time to prepare. The total preparation time is about an hour and a half. Let’s face it: Alex and I don’t spend as much time on a side dish when we’re not talking. So if we made it just for ourselves, we would serve it as a main course! Add a green salad and green beans and suddenly it’s a vegetarian main course.
This casserole could also be a hearty brunch option! It would be perfect for a holiday party brunch or a baby shower or bridal shower brunch.
Can you speed up the prep time for a spaghetti squash casserole?
You can! We have tips and shortcuts in mind that you should prepare in advance. Here’s what we suggest if you’re short on time:
- Prepare the spaghetti squash ahead of time. One idea to cut down on prep time is to make the spaghetti squash ahead of time! When preparing meals, roast or cook the spaghetti squash up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate, then assemble the casserole. Cook it a little longer until the squash is warmed through.
- Pressure cook the spaghetti squash. Do you have an instant pot? If so, our Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash only takes 30 minutes from start to finish. This is a significant time saver compared to frying!
How to cut spaghetti squash
What involves most of the technique in this spaghetti squash casserole? Cut the pumpkin! Our trick to getting the longest knots is Halve the pumpkin crosswise instead of lengthwise. The branches of the squash actually run the width of the squash, not the length. It’s also easier to cut this way so the knife doesn’t slip. Here are the basic steps to cutting a spaghetti squash (and check out the video below!):
- Find a small, sharp paring knife. It seems counterintuitive! But it’s the safest method because it avoids the slipping that can occur with a large knife.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise. To cut, pierce the squash with the knife and swing it down, creating small slices around the squash until it breaks in half. This creates the longest strands or “noodles”.
- Remove the seeds. Cut around the seeds with the knife, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Ways to turn it into a meal!
This spaghetti squash casserole can be served as a main course or as a side dish. As mentioned above, with the prep time (1 hour 30 minutes), we would use it as a companion to chat. To make this a vegetarian dinner recipe, here are some side dishes you could use with it!
This Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
The description
This cheesy baked spaghetti squash casserole is a winner! It features Italian flavors: pesto, artichoke, mozzarella and parmesan.
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 14 ounces quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup Basil pesto
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
- Cook Spaghetti Squash: Roast Spaghetti Squash (takes about 1 hour total) or Instant Spaghetti Squash (takes 30 minutes total). You can pre-cook the spaghetti squash and store it in the fridge until it’s ready: just cook it longer in the last step until it’s completely warmed through.
- Drain the spaghetti squash for 10 minutes as directed in the cooking method above. (This ensures that there is no extra liquid in the pan.)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (if you haven’t already roasted the squash).
- While the spaghetti squash is cooking, roughly chop the spinach, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- In a large bowl, combine the warm sprigs of squash, spinach, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, pesto, salt, mozzarella, and parmesan. Stir until well combined and transfer to a medium saucepan. Sprinkle the top with additional parmesan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the mozzarella cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
- Category: garnish
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Italian inspired
Keywords: Casserole of mashed spaghetti
