This recipe has evolved from several sources. Here is the final result.
Don’t panic when looking at the total time. Most of this time is taken up in letting the spaghetti squash cook. Set the squash cooking, and you can do the other preparations. Then, while you are waiting for the squash to finish cooking, go do other things.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 whole spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup onion diced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Parmesan divided
or 1/2 Cup of Parmesan and 1/2 cup of mozzarella
8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
To cook the spaghetti squash:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half length-wise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. (!! A frugal, busy writer will save the seeds. See below!!) Drizzle cut sides with olive oil, and place face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until squash is fork tender. When you gently pull a fork across the flesh of the squash, it will pull apart and look like spaghetti.
To make the Alfredo sauce:
When the squash is halfway through cooking, prepare the Alfredo sauce.
Sauté the onions until they are translucent.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add the cream, cream cheese, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup Parmesan to the pan. Whisk until the cheese has melted, and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
To assemble:
Scoop the squash out of the rinds. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the squash, and stir to coat. Spoon the squash into the empty rinds. Sprinkle cheese on top.
If you don’t want to use the rinds, you can simply pour the Alfredo spaghetti squash into a 9×9 baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
!!!!Bonus!!!!
Remember I said don’t throw away the seeds? These make a great treat.
Wash the seeds using a strainer, and put them into an oven dish you can cover. (They sometimes pop and bounce around during cooking.)
In the dish, drizzle them with olive oil, toss them with seasoning (simple salt is a big winner), and bake them in a covered dish.
Bake at the same time as the squash for 10 – 20 minutes, or to desired crisp. (I love them a bit soft. Others like them with more crunch. Experiment to find your happy place.) Don’t forget them. The first few times you make these, set a timer for 5 minute intervals, so they don’t accidentally get too done. You will start to get an idea of how long they cook to get to your preferred crisp.
I found this tip on The Spruce Eats.
“You can also soak the seeds overnight in salt water or boil them for 10 minutes in salt water before roasting them. This can result in crunchier seeds and may make nutrients more available for absorption.”
I have not tested this yet, but it’s on my list.