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Monday night Spicy Tomato Parmesan Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. AKA “pasta” on the healthy side…and so good. Spaghetti squash stuffed with a slightly spicy, roasted garlic tomato sauce, basil pesto, and fresh herbs. All baked together until the squash is tender, the cheese melty, and all is perfect. This is a deliciously easy, healthier way to enjoy the classic flavors of a cheesy tomato pasta. Bonus? It’s easy enough for any night of the week, requires minimal prep, and comes together in just about an hour.
I have to say, I am very happy to finally be sharing this spaghetti squash with you guys. I made this all the way back in January. Somehow it was lost in my archives of photos and ever so growing list of recipes. If I hadn’t scrolled back through my photos last week, I would have completely forgotten all about this incredibly good (and super easy) recipe.
I know, that seems crazy, right? I’ve just been cooking and photographing so many recipes the last few weeks that if something is not on my calendar and scheduled for posting I’m most likely going to forget all about it. This has nothing to do with how good the recipe is, trust me, this squash is SO GOOD. It’s just that I can’t keep everything straight in my head sometimes.
And also? I really just need to be more organized. That’s really the bottom line.
Anyway, my point in all this rambling (and on a Monday too, so sorry), is that I’m very glad and excited to be sharing this cozy, but healthy spaghetti squash with you guys today. It’s one of those recipes you’ll be making time and time again.
Jumping right on into this recipe today, because, well, it’s Monday.
It all starts with the squash. Find yourself a couple of medium size spaghetti squash, half them, and roast them with smashed garlic. This is KEY. As the squash and garlic roast, the squash becomes infused with a bit of garlic flavor. What I love is that it’s a subtle garlic flavor that doesn’t over power the sweetness of the squash.
Once the squash and garlic are roasted, remove the garlic. Then combine the garlic with canned tomatoes, smoky paprika, dried fennel, herbs, spicy crushed red pepper flakes, and a bit of basil pesto. This is your tomato sauce. I know it may seem simple, but I always find that the simplest tomato sauces are the best ones.
Spoon the sauce into the roasted spaghetti squash, add mozzarella, bread crumbs, and parmesan. Now return the squash to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden, and oh so perfect.
Super simple, but oh so delicious and satisfying too.
PS. I’ve kept this recipe vegetarian, but adding in cubed boneless chicken would work really well if you’d like to bump up the protein a bit.
Personally? What I love so much about this recipe is that it kind of feels like a cross between a super cozy winter recipe and a lighter spring recipe. It’s warm and cheesy, but the spaghetti squash and fresh herbs keep the dish light and fresh.
The perfect winter meets spring combo, right?
With this being the first week of March, I know so many of us have spring on our minds, but the fact is that March is usually still a pretty cold month for most everyone in the US (all of you out of the country readers, if you experience nice weather in March, I am so jealous!). So my goal for this month is more recipes just like this one. Colorful and vegetable filled, yet still warming and good for cold winter weather.
Major bonus? This also happens to be one of the easiest dishes. Simply roast the squash, stuff it with sauce and cheese, and dinner will be ready. Comes together in just about an hour with minimal ingredients and minimal prep. Love that!
If you make this stuffed spaghetti squash, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Tomato Parmesan Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 532 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 can (14 ounce) san marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- 8 ounces mozzarella, torn
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (optional)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.2. Place the squash on a plate and microwave 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and discard. 3. Place the squash in a baking dish and rub the cut sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place 1 garlic clove in the center of each squash. Transfer to the oven and bake 30-40 minutes, until the squash is tender and the garlic roasted.4. In a blender or food processor, combine the roasted garlic cloves, tomatoes, paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper, fennel, and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the basil and pesto. 5. Spoon the tomato sauce evenly into each spaghetti squash half. Top with mozzarella, bread crumbs, if using, and parmesan. Return to the oven and roast another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 6. Let the squash sit 5 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the squash into strands, mixing the cheese with the squash. Serve topped with fresh basil.
Made this tonight- didn’t have motz or fresh basil…so used a mix of montery jack and parm (both shredded and grated)..and then just dried basil. Was DELISH AND SOOO EASY. Boyfriend loved it too. We will definitely make again, thank you!
Sounds amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Tera! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
I made this delicious dish and it was outstanding. Better than I imagined it would be.
This will be a family favorite that I will use often.
Thank you so much Kimberlee! xTieghan
We tried it tonight an I absolutely loved the sauce omg the flavor was amazing and that being mixed with cheese and the squash was delish. Thank you.
Thank you!! I am so glad you loved this one! xTieghan
Just wanted to post that we keep coming back to this recipe. Not only because we enjoy the spaghetti squash, but we keep reusing the pesto/san marzano sauce. For pizza, especially! It’s been a hit!
Thank you so much Riki! I am so glad you are loving this and using the sauce for other things as well! xTieghan
Looks amazing!! Can I use parchment paper on the pan for all your pan recipes? Like this one and also the salmon ones? Thanks!
Hey Lindsay! Sure, using parchment paper should work just fine! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Wow! This recipe is great! We had a Spaghetti Squash & had some homemade pesto sauce in the freezer and this recipe was exactly what we needed and was totally restaurant quality. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was so good. My husband keeps asking when I will make it again :-).
Wow that is so great! I am so glad you both enjoyed this! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was out of this world amazing! I made some very small adjustments – I baked the squash for about an hour….cut back the red pepper flakes to 3/4 tsp (we don’t like super spicy foods) and all I had was seasoned panko so I used that. Seriously an incredible recipe – I didn’t like spaghetti squash the last time I tried it but this will be my go-to recipe for it now!
Wow yes!! I am so glad this recipe changed your mind on it! Thank you for trying this Debbie! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
I had really high hopes for this recipe, AND IT DID NOT FAIL!!!
Such a creative recipe with knock out flavor! Thanks for sharing your love of healthy, delicious food!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Bonnie! xTieghan
I realize this will be a big surprise to you but spaghetti squash is LOADED with starch as in 58% of the calories are STARCH in the 2 lb and 3 lb ones and 58.2 grams of starch in the 4 lb ones. Research has demonstrated that starch is just a ring of glucose molecules that break apart into glucose as in blood sugars of 50 to 100 mg/dL in 15 minutes and 160 to 250 mg/dL in 30 minutes after the amylase enzyme in our saliva lets them go to 5X higher blood sugars in 30 minutes. I discovered this fact some 16 years ago and never ate another one of those starchy garbage “fake” pasta subs. Even regular pasta has 73% of its calories as starchy garbage so the spaghetti squash is not far behind pasta as the starch content goes.
It’s still a bit hot in Arkansas but I would love to try this.
Do you think if I cook the halves of the squash in my instant pot that would work? Or is the roasting needed for flavor?
Thanks!
Hi Rebecca! You can cook the squash first in the instant pot. I would do high pressure for 8 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Love this. I did it last nigh and added a bit of spinach with the tomatoes. AMAZING!!!!
Thank you so much Lisa! xTieghan
Can this be a freezer meal? I have spaghetti squash in my garden right now.
Hey Ginger! I ma sure this would work well as a freezer meal. I would assemble the the squash, then freeze just before baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Really delicious meal! It has a super unique flavor- I think in large part due to the smoked paprika. I wasn’t anticipating this flavor to be so strong when I made this recipe, but I ended up really enjoying it. For people considering making this recipe, I would just advise you to expect a smoky + spicy flavor.
Thank you Elizabeth! xTieghan
I made this the other day and oh my goodness it is sooo good. It’s my new favorite! It’s so packed with flavour you can use it as a condiment. I’ve been using it in my lunch sallad every other day. Delish! Well done!
That is so amazing! Thank you so much Charlotte! xTieghan