Spaghetti squash is the perfect gluten-free, keto-friendly alternative to regular pasta. In this recipe, we'll show you how to cook spaghetti squash to perfection, then top it with a delicious creamy mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and chicken sauce to make this keto dinner truly cheesier and tastier than ever before!
November 1 2018 recipe & photo by Jill Wallentin, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE in Recipes, Dinner, Meal
Spaghetti squash is the perfect gluten-free, keto-friendly alternative to regular pasta. In this recipe, we'll show you how to cook spaghetti squash to perfection, then top it with a delicious creamy mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and chicken sauce to make this keto dinner truly cheesier and tastier than ever before!
USMetric
4 servingservings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 900 g spaghetti squash
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb 450 g ground chicken or ground turkey
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp ½ tbsp garlic powder or minced garlic cloveminced garlic cloves
- 1 pinch 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup 240 ml heavy whipping cream
- 2 oz. (4 tbsp) 55 g (55 ml) cream cheese
- ¼ cup (2⁄3 oz.) 60 ml (20 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1¾ cups (7 oz.) 425 ml (200 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Slice spaghetti squash in half by cutting lengthwise with a sharp knife. Be careful, it can be quite hard. Scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon.
Place halves with the cut side up in a large baking dish or baking tray. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake the spaghetti squash until soft, for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size. If you need more help dealing with the pumpkin, scroll down for more detailed instructions with pictures.
Heat a large frying pan and add the butter. When it starts to sizzle, add the ground meat and the spices. Fry until browned, for about 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat slightly and add cream, cream cheese, parmesan, and two-thirds of the mozzarella. Let simmer for a few minutes until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
When the spaghetti squash is ready, remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Loosen the flesh with a fork but without scraping it out. Gently press down the flesh and pour over the creamy chicken sauce. Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese gets a nice golden color.
Season with freshly ground black pepper and finely chopped parsley.
Can I use other types of squash?
If you don't have access to spaghetti squash, you can also use butternut squash. However, keep in mind that it contains much more carbohydrates than spaghetti squash. 2 lbs (900 g) of butternut squash contains 92 g net carbs.
How long to cook spaghetti squash?
Depending on the size of your pumpkin, it might take more or less time to bake in the oven, so adjust the time accordingly. If you have a larger pumpkin around 2.5 lbs (1 kg), it will take more time in the oven.
Don't throw away the pumpkin seeds! Get rid of all the threads around the seeds, clean and rinse them properly. Sprinkle with some oil, salt and pepper and roast them in the oven on 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes.
Do you like some heat? Add a few drops of hot sauce or tabasco when serving the cheesy chicken spaghetti squash.
How to prepare and bake spaghetti squash
Step 1: Cut the spaghetti squash with a sharp knife.
Step 2: Scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon.
Step 3: Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Step 4: Scrape and loosen the pumpkin flesh with a fork.
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💬 Have you tried this recipe?
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51 comments
1
Cat
November 7 2018
I LOVE spaghetti squash so thank you for this recipe! I grow them in my garden. I prefer to cook it with the cut side down, so that the skins act as a "cover" - otherwise I find they take aaages to cook. I also avoid overcooking them, as they turn too mushy. I tend to take one out and check it by scooping a bit of the flesh with a fork to check its consistency and taste - aldente works for me!
Spaghetti squash with a tomato based sauce made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion and olive oil, served with prawns and zested lemon rind is a yummy dish too!2
Ethel
November 7 2018
I always prick the skin, place in microwave on high for about 10 min. If you don’t prick you may have an explosion. Then cut in half, place on platter with a little water which helps it steam, and cook again for maybe 5-10 min. Check it and likely you can clean the seeds out. Put back in the microwave and cook until it’s tender enough to scoop out the strings of flesh with a fork. All of these times are approximate, but it’s quick and it works.
3
Jeannette
November 10 2018
Where on earth can you buy ground CHICKEN? I have never seen or heard of that anywhere. Can I substitute ground turkey? Or ground venison?
Replies: #4, #10, #30
4
Reply to comment #3 by Jeannette
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
November 11 2018
You can substitute in any ground meat that suits your preferences!
--Kristin
5
Elizabeth
November 12 2018
This was d-elicious! Even my pickiest child loved it. Will make again. I did use ground chicken. They usually have it alongside the ground turkey and pork at my grocery store.
6
Darlene
January 3 2019
Started the Keto program today and made this as my fist recipe from this site. This is absolutely delicious!!! My husband raved about it. I made a couple of changes. I used some leftover shredded turkey, but still heated the turkey in the butter and cream and cheeses. I also cooked the spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot to save some time. I then scraped the spaghetti squash out into a buttered casserole dish, topped with the turkey and sauce mixture, and browned the top with the extra cheese. LOVE this recipe!!!
7
Cheryl desjarlais
January 18 2019
See AlsoMicrowave Recipes: 34 Surprisingly Delicious Meals and SnacksThe BEST Keto No Bake Cheesecake Recipe - KetoConnectBEST No Bake Keto Cookies! Low Carb Keto Caramel Cookie Idea – Sugar Free – Quick & Easy Ketogenic Diet Recipe – Completely Keto FriendlyPão de mel (Brazilian Honey Cakes Recipe)I love spaghetti squash I steam it
Until tender but not mushy dot wit butter the gently fluff with a fork and add a combination of asagio cheese parmasion ? and Romano gently fluff and enjoy8
Sarah Basinger
January 25 2019
I forgot to pick up cream cheese at the store. Is there something i can sub
Reply: #9
9
Reply to comment #8 by Sarah Basinger
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
January 26 2019
You could try using a different cheese that you have on hand, but the creaminess won't be the same.
10
Reply to comment #3 by Jeannette
Una
January 30 2019
You don't buy it - certainly not in England- you just mince your own (ground in American English!) in a food processor as you make cauliflower rice. I always mince my own beef and lamb and pork so I can buy a better quality cut of meat from a butcher not a supermarket. I never buy ready minced or ground anything so I know what is in it and from where it has come - compassionate and ethical farming of our animals.
11
MBC
February 13 2019
This is the kind of recipe that makes me exclaim “I’m glad I’m on a diet!” So filling!
Made it with ground turkey thigh meat (available from the butcher), and with the addition of ~ 1 tbsp of homemade basil pesto.
Squash took longer to bake than recommended time, so I finished it in the microwave - still came out perfectly al dente.
Will make it again.12
Tracie Boland
February 14 2019
This is delicious!!! Just made it. Thanks for sharing!
I added bacon to mine and a little Cajun Spice.I will make this again for sure!! Yummy!
13
Nicholas
February 20 2019
Is one serving one of the halves of the squash? So if I have one spaghetti squash that’s my two servings?
Reply: #14
14
Reply to comment #13 by Nicholas
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
February 21 2019
It depends on how big your squash are. This makes 4 servings. If you have 1 squash, then one serving is one quarter of the whole/half of one of the halves.
15
Coh
March 12 2019
can I make it without the heavy cream?
Reply: #16
16
Reply to comment #15 by Coh
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
March 12 2019
can I make it without the heavy cream?
I would not recommend omitting the cream. If you need this to have less dairy, try coconut cream instead.
17
Vicki
March 17 2019
How can this be Keto friendly when 1 cup of spaghetti squash has 8g of net carbs? I put the whole recipe in my tracker and it gave it a grade of F for being Keto friendly having a net carb value of 14g per serving.
Reply: #29
18
Maria Zaino
March 21 2019
It was "Delicious". My whole picky family loved it!!! 10 stars
19
Marianne
April 4 2019
I used shredded chicken that was a leftover from the night before. It worked great!! Super good!!
20
Tanner
May 20 2019
This recipe was so yummy...For the garlic I used 2 garlic cloves and 1tsp of garlic salt. It was ahhhmaaazzzing!
21
Lambey
June 12 2019
This in carb manager says it’s like 16 grams of carbs!!!! Watch out!
Reply: #22
22
Reply to comment #21 by Lambey
Jill
September 16 2019
I also calculated 16 g net carbs in Carb Manager. Is there a problem with this recipe’s nutrition calculation, Diet Doctor staff?
MELISSA
September 22 2019
I made this last night and it was amazing. It was a hit with my husband too. TFS the recipe!
24
meredith
October 10 2019
This is a lovely meal. I used a little less ground turkey and threw in a handful of spinach.
25
Zoe
October 21 2019
DELICIOUS! I made this into a tuna bake and added some mushrooms, spinach and some lemon juice. The tray served 8 meals. Yummy!
26
Vilija Percival
December 15 2019
Can the chicken and cheese mix
be frozen please?Reply: #27
27
Reply to comment #26 by Vilija Percival
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
December 16 2019
Can the chicken and cheese mix
be frozen please?Yes, you can freeze the chicken and cheese.
28
Tiffanee
June 4 2020
This one was very good!
29
Reply to comment #17 by Vicki
Jill
June 5 2020
I noted the same thing. I modified the recipe to use 1 lb of squash instead of 2 lb. The macros are closer to keto then, but still a little high in carbs. Still, this is a deceptive and erroneous recipe for those who are only using DD recipes to track their nutrition (as opposed to food-logging with an app).
Reply: #31
30
Reply to comment #3 by Jeannette
Jill
June 5 2020
Ground chicken is with the packaged fresh chicken and usually near the ground turkey in my grocery stores. I’ve seen ground chicken in all of the grocery stores near me including Walmart and the small grocery section in Target.
31
Reply to comment #29 by Jill
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
June 5 2020
I noted the same thing. I modified the recipe to use 1 lb of squash instead of 2 lb. The macros are closer to keto then, but still a little high in carbs. Still, this is a deceptive and erroneous recipe for those who are only using DD recipes to track their nutrition (as opposed to food-logging with an app).
Thanks for your feedback! I brought this to the attention of our recipe team for review.
32
lauramb1994
July 8 2020
This was phenomenal!! I want to serve this for an extended family meal and see their surprised faces when I tell them what it is made from. I can also see being able to add a few things in to add variety and flavor. I’m thinking of mushrooms and spinach. Another winner!!
Reply: #33
33
Reply to comment #32 by lauramb1994
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
July 8 2020
This was phenomenal!! I want to serve this for an extended family meal and see their surprised faces when I tell them what it is made from. I can also see being able to add a few things in to add variety and flavor. I’m thinking of mushrooms and spinach. Another winner!!
Awesome!! I am very glad your family enjoyed this one!
34
Honeymay
August 13 2020
Used ground beef... came out delicious.
Reply: #35
35
Reply to comment #34 by Honeymay
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
August 14 2020
Used ground beef... came out delicious.
Great idea!
36
Roberta
October 1 2020
Love this recipe. I made it with ground turkey. It was also my first time cooking spaghetti squash. Definitely a keeper and a regular dish on my menu.
37
Stephanie
October 26 2020
So good. Just made this and used ground pork. Very satisfying. This was put together easily and didn't take much time or effort. I love meals that require little effort and pay off big!
Reply: #38
38
Reply to comment #37 by Stephanie
Britta Patterson
October 26 2020
So good. Just made this and used ground pork. Very satisfying. This was put together easily and didn't take much time or effort. I love meals that require little effort and pay off big!
I completely agree that tasty meals which require little effort are the best! Happy to hear that you enjoyed.
39
Tonya
November 3 2020
It is super high n carbs after tracking. It was delicious but now I’m worried about getting kicked out of ketosis. I cooked squash as written and it came out perfect. But my carb counter put it at 20 grams so maybe better for liberal low carb.
Replies: #40, #41
40
Reply to comment #39 by Tonya
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
November 3 2020
It is super high n carbs after tracking. It was delicious but now I’m worried about getting kicked out of ketosis. I cooked squash as written and it came out perfect. But my carb counter put it at 20 grams so maybe better for liberal low carb.
Tonya, I asked our recipe team to double check the numbers for this one. Thanks!
41
Reply to comment #39 by Tonya
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
November 5 2020
It is super high n carbs after tracking. It was delicious but now I’m worried about getting kicked out of ketosis. I cooked squash as written and it came out perfect. But my carb counter put it at 20 grams so maybe better for liberal low carb.
Tonya, when making this recipe Jill measured the cooked pumpkin flesh to get the accurate nutrients and it was 2 cups from 2 lb spaghetti squash.
42
Vivavi
January 10 2021
I made this recipe for 2 portions using a medium eggplant instead of spaghetti squash (approx 115g raw eggplant per serving).
Modifications: I cut a channel in the middle of the eggplant before roasting, to form two boats. I roasted the inner flesh too. About 15-20 minutes was enough. Then I mixed the roasted inner flesh in with the chicken mixture. The rest of the preparation was the same. It came out very well and seems slightly easier to manage, carb-wise, than spaghetti squash. I imagine zucchini would work too, similar to the zucchini boat recipes on DD.43
jakandbe
February 12 2021
Just made this! It is really delicious! I used ground turkey and followed the recipe. I took out a portion of the "spaghetti" and saved it in an oven safe dish, added the meat and sauce - easy meal ready for tomorrow. Thank you DD for great recipes!
Reply: #44
44
Reply to comment #43 by jakandbe
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
February 12 2021
Just made this! It is really delicious! I used ground turkey and followed the recipe. I took out a portion of the "spaghetti" and saved it in an oven safe dish, added the meat and sauce - easy meal ready for tomorrow. Thank you DD for great recipes!
Great planning to prepare a dish for an easy meal of leftovers. Thanks for sharing the tip.
45
Mary
March 30 2021
This one is a keeper. for sure. But , why all the talk about pumpkin? Spaghetti squash doesn't have any seeds to roast. Can they be frozen prior to cooking and put in the freezer?
46
Mary
March 30 2021
Sorry, it does have seeds.
47
KassieMarie
April 2 2021
just wanted to comment. this is for spaghettis squash. but instruction number 6 says pumpkin instead. figured it was a typo. but may confuse some folks. This looks delicious though!
48
Colleen
June 30 2021
We made this using ground pork and added Chinese five spice. Delicious!
49
D-Fly
September 12 2021
I have never had Spaghetti Squash before and I absolutely loved it!!! The melon was so big that I was able to make 2 dinners out of it for both my Husband and I. I highly recommend this recipe... very tasty!!!!
50
Mary
August 21 2022
How many cups of cooked spaghetti squash go into this recipe to provide the stated macros. I cooked this up and it is a keeper, for sure. Very versatile. It seemed like a lot of squash came out of the one I bought.
Reply: #51
51
Reply to comment #50 by Mary
Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
August 22 2022
How many cups of cooked spaghetti squash go into this recipe to provide the stated macros. I cooked this up and it is a keeper, for sure. Very versatile. It seemed like a lot of squash came out of the one I bought.
Hi, Mary! If you're making the default 4 servings, you would want to use 2 pounds of spaghetti squash. (For one serving, it would only be 1/2 a pound.)
