This keto spaghetti squash recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this versatile vegetable. It takes only 6 ingredients, and the rich flavor and melty cheese make it ultra-comforting. Plus you can bake it right in the shells for minimal clean-up!
I fully admit, I have a thing for cozy keto sides with lots of cheese. Serve me a plate with plenty of protein and a serving of slow cooker cauliflower or Cheesy Spinach Casserole, and I am as happy as a pig in… well, you know.
Spaghetti squash is such a wonderful fall and winter staple. It’s readily available, low in carbs, and rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. Even if you’re not on a low carb or keto diet, spaghetti squash makes a great alternative to heavy pasta. And it holds up well to all sorts of sauces and toppings.
This recipe transforms the humble squash into something spectacular with minimal effort. Oven-roasting makes it super tender, and the butter, garlic, and Parmesan complements the natural flavor. Stuffing the flesh back into the shells and adding cheese on top gives it that down-home casserole vibe.
This Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash recipe has been on my website for over a decade now. Simple, flavorful, and satisfying, it has earned its rightful place as a well-loved side dish.
Reader’s Thoughts
“Loved it, but then all your recipes I’ve tried are great!! So easy once your able to get that squash cut in half!! Thank you for a delicious recipe that will go into my rotation!” — Debra
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients: This recipe takes only 6 readily available ingredients.
- Easy preparation: The hardest part is cutting the squash in half lengthwise. But get yourself a big sharp kitchen knife and away you go.
- Fabulous flavor: Roasted spaghetti squash is the perfect canvas for garlic butter and melty cheese!
- Customizable: Turn it into dinner by adding some cooked chicken or Italian sausage before you bake it a second time.
- Low carb and gluten-free: Naturally low in carbs, without any gluten, it’s an ideal keto side dish.
Ingredient Notes
- Spaghetti squash: You will need one medium-size spaghetti squash or two small ones for this recipe, which should be about 3 pounds in weight when whole.
- Butter: This adds richness, fat and flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic works best but you could also use a little garlic powder.
- Parmesan: Grate it yourself or purchase pre-grated, but make sure you use quality Parmesan for good flavor!
- Provolone: This sliced cheese melts well but you can also use sliced mozzarella.
- Seasoning: Use a little dried basil or Italian seasoning to complement the other flavors.
How to Make Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash
- Cut the squash: Use a very large, sharp kitchen knife to cut the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds.
- Roast the squash: Place cut-side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake about an hour, until tender.
- Scoop out the flesh: Scoop the flesh of the squash into a bowl and stir in butter, Parmesan, garlic, and seasonings.
- Stuff the squash: Spoon this mixture back into the shells and cover with Provolone.
- Bake again: Place the squash back into the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Tips for Success
Most recipes require you to cut across the squash, but lengthwise allows you to use the shells for the second baking. Use a very large sharp chef’s knife and get above the squash so you can use your weight to press down. I often place the whole cutting board right on the floor.
Baking the squash cut-side down helps keep the flesh from drying out. You can scoop out the seeds before or after baking, it really doesn’t matter.
The bake time depends on the size of the squash so check it frequently. You know it’s done when you can squeeze it and feel it give way to the pressure. If you are using smaller squash, be sure to set the timer for 45 minutes and check on it frequently after that.
Be careful not to overcook it, as the strings tend to break up more and lose their resemblance to spaghetti noodles. When the outer shell is soft enough to squeeze and indent it, remove the spaghetti squash from the oven or the slow cooker.
More keto sides you will love
Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash, (about 3 to 3.5 lb)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 ounce (28.35 g) Parmesan, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried crumbled basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) sliced Provolone or mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a very sharp large knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard seeds. Place cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, until tender. You should be able to squeeze the outside of the squash and feel it give.
- Remove and use a large spoon to scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, reserving the skins. Add the butter and let melt in the hot squash, then add the Parmesan, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Toss until well combined
- Divide the mixture between the reserved skins and top with sliced Provolone or mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Spaghetti squash is extremely healthy and contains a whole host of important vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, several B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. Compared to many winter squash varieties, it’s quite low in carbs, coming in at only 7g of carbs per cup (101 grams). When cooked with some healthy fats and seasonings, it makes an excellent keto side dish. You can also add some protein like chicken, sausage, or ground beef and turn it into a hearty keto dinner recipe.
You can easily make this recipe in advance by a day or two, and simply rewarm it in the oven to melt the cheese again. And the leftovers are absolutely delicious for a healthy breakfast with some eggs on top!
This keto twice baked spaghetti squash recipe has 8.3g of carbs and 1.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 6.6g net carbs per serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Love the idea on baking it and freezing for winter. My garden is overflowing with squash. I hate seeing it go to waste. A lot of people have never eaten it.Great site love to read the comments
This sounds heavenly!,I love ss but im onlyone in my family to eat it. Carbs are too high for my macros to have several days same week. Does it freeze well?
I don’t think it would freeze but you could always just make a half recipe.
Hi! The produce person at Publix cuts mine in half for me, no extra charge!
i bought my first spaghetti squash and just attempted to cut it and it was near impossible! My hands cramped up a bunch during the process and the fact that I didn’t lose a finger (or hand) during the process is pure luck. Do you have any tips for how to make it easier (and safer) to cut the spaghetti squash? Should I poke holes in it all over with a fork and microwave for a few minutes before I follow your recipe? It looks delicious but I have no idea how to cut the squash….
Get yourself a very large and very sharp knife. And don’t get the ginormous squash, they are tougher and harder to cut. The smaller ones cook faster too. I don’t think microwaving it would do much to help.
Poke holes in the s.s. and microwave for about 5 minutes. Be careful when removing it from microwave as it will be hot. It will soften the skin making it easier to cut.
I also cook mine in the microwave but a little different. I take an icepick and push it in deep on two sides so steam can escape as it cooks. Microwave on high 7-9 min. depending on the size. Take out with oven mitts as it’s very hot. Let it sit to cool down a bit then cut and scoop.
Last summer I raised s.s. in my garden and was very successful. Every time I was 3 or 4 ahead I microwaved them, scraped the meat and froze them in serving size bags. Now I am enjoying it all winter when the price in the store is high. I decided to grow them when in the winter of 2013 I picked up one in the store and it was over $7!!
I cook spaghetti squash in the microwave too. Only I cook it whole. I wash it and use a fork and punch little holes all over it to let the steam escape. Cook on one side for 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 5 minutes. It should feel soft when you take it out.
It cuts its in half like butter (I have problem cutting them raw.) Be very careful taking them handling them after they are cooked. They are very hot.
Sounds great, thanks!
I tried this recipe tonight, and it was delicious. This is my first time cooking with spaghetti squash, in fact I’d never even heard of it. I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and happened across this blog while searching for low carb recipes. I especially liked Pat’s microwave suggestion (thank you Pat). it really came in handy, as I had a hard time trying to cut the raw squash. Putting it in the microwave first worked great! Thank you Carolyn, for sharing. I will be adding this dish to my favorites!
Glad to hear it! So sorry for your diagnosis but please know that there are a million great ways to eat and control your diabetes.
I cook spaghetti squash in the microwave. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds, put both halves on a plate face down and cook on high for 10-15mins (based on size – it should be very soft to the touch). Much faster, doesn’t heat up your house in the summer (we’re in Georgia) and a lot of water drains off onto the plate, so the squash isn’t as soupy when you add toppings.
Could you please dump one of my replies? Don’t know how that happened; was trying to correct something, and both posted, sorry.
No worries!
I first made spaghetti squash nearly twenty years ago. My mother in law fixed it a lot with butter, salt, etc, so when my husband and I started trying to lose weight and started running, I thought it would be a good substitute for pasta. I would use smoked sausage in my homemade spaghetti sauce, and scoop out the squash from the shell, and let the liquid drain away, and mix the sauce with the squash, and use parmesan cheese on top. We never missed the noodles, and it made eating healthier a lot easier. Now, my husband is a diabetic, and I am going back to some of the dishes that made getting healthy easier way back when, and it is working for him and us.
We have spaghetti squash at least once a week. We eat low carb, high fat diet to control diabetes. It works for us. Of course sugar is a no-no too..
Thanks for new spin on for us an old favourite…
Be Well
I am with you on the LCHF for diabetes!
Carolyn, I am on your sight daily so I thought today I would share with you some ideas I have come up with since my low carb journey seeing spaghetti squash is a staple in our household. I have gotten creative with the leftovers (after its been roasted in the oven) and taken a small onion or shallot and sauteed it with some olive oil then I mix in kale or spinach once it wilts I add to the spaghetti squash top with some Parmesan cheese and bake. This is a huge hit in our family and it had me thinking how I could make a mock baked ziti but replacing the pasta with the spaghetti squash. I made my sauce with spicy sausage (pork/chicken or turkey) the spicy sausage is key for flavor, I am not a fan so I actually do half sweet half hot. I then mixed it in with the already roasted spaghetti squash and topped with a mixture of ricotta (1/3 cup) parmesan (2 TBSP) and parsley (2 TBSP) put it back in the oven and let the cheese bake. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for sharing!
Is there somewhere else the recipe is at? The page comes up blank in the content area (shows the menu and top logo/menu) in multiple web browsers for me.
Something is up with their site so I let them know. Thanks!
I didn’t taste spaghetti squash until my early 30s. Craziness, I know! Now I’m hooked. Thanks for the recipe.
Do you bake them cut side down?
Yes, sorry. I should have specified that. Will amend!
I’m in love with this! I am probably the only one left on the planet who hasn’t tried spaghetti squash, and you’ve made it looks so incredibly tempting, I’m going on a hunt for it today. That top shot is wonderful, pinned!
Thanks, Sue! I can’t believe you haven’t tried it yet. It’s wonderful.
Oooh, brilliant usage of spaghetti squash! That’s going on the menu next week.
Thanks, Sarah!