Here's an earthy rendition of spaghetti squash sauté using mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and other good stuff.
I begin sampling this dish way before it's ready. The aroma of sautéing mushrooms, onions, garlic, and spinach makes my mouth water. And I certainly need to taste it while I'm salting it.
A quick note on dairy: A reader brought to my attention that ghee (butter with the milk sold removed) is technically still dairy. So, if you're not able to eat butter or ghee because it's more than just the milk proteins that bother you, substitute the ghee in this recipe with more olive oil to make it completely dairy-free.
As for the mushroom choice, I use cremini mushrooms because they're easy to find, but feel free to use your favorite mushroom in place of it, or use a few types together.
I personally love roasted spaghetti squash, but if you own an Instant Pot, you can get it all done in less than 10 minutes by cooking your spaghetti squash in it. And another option is to microwave the cut squash for 12 to 15 minutes.
Rustic Mushroom Spaghetti Squash Sauté
Update: I added my recipe techniques for simple spaghetti squash below. You can make this completely dairy-free by substituting olive oil for butter and eliminating the Parmesan.And, feel free to add a fried egg on top, or other protein.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 201kcal
Ingredients
- Medium-size spaghetti squash about 2 pounds (1 kg)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion peeled and finely chopped
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 cup spinach leaves chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or more (to taste)
- ¼ cup Parmesan shaved; optional, for a topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, either way, and place each open side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Bake the squash for 20 minutes, or until a fork can be inserted in the skin.
- While squash is baking, preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter to the skillet.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onions and sauté them until just tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet, and sauté them for about 7 minutes, or until they begin to release moisture and brown.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the spinach and cook for a minute or so, just to soften it.
- Cool the squash, and take out the seeds and discard.
- Scoop out the spaghetti squash and place it in the skillet with the mushroom mixture. Add the other tablespoon of olive oil and sauté everything for a few minutes to blend the flavors and ingredients. Add more salt if needed.
- Serve hot or warm, and top with shaved Parmesan (optional). Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.
Nutrition
Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1119IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg
Simple Spaghetti Squash
To make it easier to cut the squash before baking you have two options. The first option is to prick it a few times with a fork or knife and microwave it at one minute intervals until it's easier to cut. The second option is to prick it with a fork or knife a few times and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until it's easy to cut.How you cut it is entirely up to you. If there's a stem, cut that off first. Next, you can slice it across the short way or the long way, or slice it a few times across the body of the squash to get rings. If you cut it into more than two pieces it will shorten the cooking time by five minutes.After it's cut, you can remove the seeds or wait until after the squash has baked. I tend to do it after because I find it easier to remove them, but either way works. I don't add any salt or oil to the inside or outside of the squash because it can soften the squash too much and I prefer to season it once I'm using it in a recipe.If you prefer you can replace the olive oil with some broth or a more substantial sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 59kcal
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half or in rings. See the recipes notes on help with slicing it.
- Scoop the seeds out, or leave them in and take them out once the squash is baked.
- Place each half open side facing down on the baking sheet. Pierce the outside of each half with a fork a few times to let moisture escape while baking. If you cut the squash into rings, place each ring on its side.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the squash out of the oven and turn it over to cool.
- Remove the seeds and use a fork to take out all the spaghetti squash.
- Add salt and other seasonings along with some olive oil (optional) or broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 193IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Olivia says
Would this work with zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti squash? I can't get spaghetti squash here in Australia.
Erica says
It will work, but the flavor will be a bit different.
Ginger says
This is really really good. Even my daughter who doesn't like mushrooms liked it. I didn't see where the spinach is added. I'm guessing with the mushrooms?
Erica says
Thank you for asking! I added it in the method. It goes in right before the spaghetti squash. 🙂
Dana says
It was dinner last night (with egg) and it was FABULOUS! 🙂
Erica says
Great to hear! 🙂
Dana says
Sounds amazing - especially with the fried egg! Trying this for sure!! Thank you!
Erica says
I think it is 🙂