Spaghetti squash is a super fun fall food! Before it’s cooked the inside of the squash looks like other winter squash in that there are seeds on the inside and the flesh is solid but after cooking the flesh gets soft and turns string-y, like spaghetti noodles! I like to take small-medium spaghetti squash, scoop out the seeds, fill them with some tasty ingredients (like cheese) and bake them until the squash is tender and the filling is cooked. This spaghetti squash recipe fills the squash with no less than 5 cheeses including mozzarella, parmesan, fontina, provolone and ricotta and that’s not including the cream! The other main ingredient is garlic and the dish has a heavenly aroma while it bakes! I like to either scoop out all of the spaghetti squash and mix it up to serve as a side dish or it also makes for a great light meal that can be served in the shell, as a bowl, as they are perfect for individual servings!
This dish is really like a cheese-y spaghetti squash alfredo and like alfredo you can add other ingredients such as spinach, artichokes, bacon, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc.
Five Cheese Garlic Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash filled with 5 kinds of cheese, cream, spinach and plenty of garlic!
ingredients
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
- 1 cup provolone cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
directions
- Mix the mozzarella, fontina, and provolone and divide in half.
- Mix half of the shredded cheese mixture with the parmesan, ricotta, cream, spinach, garlic, and thyme before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the cheese and spinach mixture between the spaghetti squash, placing it in the hollowed out centers where the seeds used to be, before sprinkling on the remaining mixture of the shredded cheeses.
- Roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until the spaghetti squash is tender, the cheese has melted and is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes.
- Either serve as is in the shells, or shred the spaghetti squash into ‘noodles’, mixing it in with all of the melted cheese and serve in the shells or in a bowl.
Option: Omit the spinach.
Option: Add chopped artichoke hearts!
Option: Add cooked and crumbled bacon!
Option: Add thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes!
Option: Add some spicy heat with red pepper flakes, or sriracha, or other chili sauce or hot sauce.
Hello !
I would like to know what is the purpose of mixing so many cheeses ? Does it reflect very much on the taste _ Does it make a unique taste because of all the combination ? what about using ricotta and mozzarella ?
Using a few different cheeses adds more flavour and simply using ricotta and mozzarella would also work.
Can you leave out the ricotta? Does it provide mousture? maybe increase cream?
You can leave out the ricotta. The squash itself provides enough liquid. Enjoy!