This baked spaghetti squash with butter, parmesan and lemon is a simple, seasonal side dish! It involves very little hands on time so you can focus on preparing the rest of the meal. If you’re looking for an easy baked spaghetti squash recipe, look no further!
I don’t see myself ever hopping on the “zoodle” bandwagon. Spiralized vegetables are pretty; in school we often used them as a fried garnish over fish.
But my brain will never accept them as noodles. I love having zucchini and marinara sauce together… why does the zucchini need to be shaped like pasta? It seems like an unnecessary step, and one more dish to wash.
My brain will also never accept spaghetti squash as a substitute for real spaghetti, but I absolutely love it. It’s like nature’s zoodle. I don’t need to wash a spiralizer after preparing it.
Baked spaghetti squash is tender with a slight bite, and it has a mild enough flavor to pair with almost any meal. This is a wonderful side dish to serve with meat, poultry, seafood, casseroles… you name it.
Other cheeses will work well here if you want to experiment or use what you have. You can try hard cheeses such as pecorino or gruyere, or even a bit of goat or feta crumbled on top.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can also roast up some garlic at the same time the squash is in the oven, and then stir in a few mashed cloves. That would be heavenly.
Looking for a side dish that uses butternut squash? Be sure to also check out my Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Pecans and Cranberries!
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Butter, Parmesan, and Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 pound spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Use a fork to poke several holes around the squash; this will allow steam to vent. Place the squash on the prepared baking sheet and cook for 50 minutes, or until a knife easily slides into the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes.
- Once the squash is cool enough to handle, slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Using a fork, gently rake the spaghetti squash strands into a large bowl.
- Add the butter, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Grate a bit more cheese on top before serving.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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looks good enough to eat on its own!
Such a tasty, easy dish Jennifer. It’ll take some doing to get my husband to try, but I’ll be trying!
Love spaghetti squash!! What a great new recipe to try!
I love spaghetti squash. Lovely simple recipe!
So simple and SO delicious!!
Looks very tasty! The instruction looks very easy. So I am going to make this recipe at home! Wish me best of luck!
Thanks so much for posting this! I had a very similar recipe from Hy-vee, a Midwestern grocery chain, but lost the card during a move. Couldn’t remember the ratio of butter to lemon juice…..