Spaghetti Squash With Mushrooms

I don’t like grocery shopping, like at all.  People seem to lollygag while I’m on a mission.  Road rage in the grocery store aisles?  Maybe.  Plus, it never fails that I always have at least one ingredient on my list that I can’t find or the store randomly decides to not stock.

After a long week last week, I avoided the dreaded grocery store . While I was happy to skip it, I quickly regretted it as soon as I tried to make dinner.  Cereal for dinner it is.  Don’t judge me.     😉  Cereal wasn’t going to cut it a second night in the row so I needed to make due with what I had in the fridge.  I had recently bought a spaghetti squash and figured that today was the day to experiment with it.  I grabbed a few other leftover ingredients and before I knew it I had a delicious dinner for two.

07Spaghetti Squash And Mushrooms

Spaghetti Squash With Mushrooms Recipe
(2 Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided per the directions below)
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms
  • 1/2 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and set it aside.
  3. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
  4. Brush the flesh of each half with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (total).
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Place the spaghetti squash, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until it’s fork tender.  Your goal is to be able to scrape the flesh easily from the squash with a fork.
  7. Once it’s cool enough to touch, scrape the squash (from each short end) until you reach its outer shell.  Keep scraping in the same direction.
  8. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, over Medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook the mushrooms, minced shallots, and minced garlic until the mushrooms are tender and the water that was released from the mushrooms has evaporated.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
  9. To prepare each dish, season the spaghetti squash with salt and pepper to taste (if needed) and add it to your bowl.
  10. Top it with the mushroom mixture.
  11. Sprinkle with as much shredded Parmesan cheese as you like.
  12. Drizzle each dish with about 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil each.

 

Have you ever cooked with spaghetti squash?  This was my first time and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s super easy to cook.

01Spaghetti Squash And Mushrooms

When you cook a potato the flesh comes out in a chunky crumbly way that is perfectly suited to be buried in butter, sour cream, and cheese.  The magical spaghetti squash turns itself conveniently into, well, spaghetti.  Sorta.  You’d expect to cut chunks out of it, but instead shreds into little strings!  That’s so cool.

02Spaghetti Squash And Mushrooms

It’s hard to explain how spaghetti squash tastes.  I think that it’s like a lot of other squash in that it has a subtle flavor.  Pasta usually does too.  That makes both a fantastic medium to add other interesting things to.  It’s an extremely versatile squash which is why it wasn’t a surprise to me that it would be a lovely compliment to the hearty mushrooms.  The Parmesan cheese is a must-have here because its flavor and salty goodness also add a lot of great flavor.

05Spaghetti Squash And Mushrooms

Did I mention that this is a healthy dish?  Oh yea.  Bathing suit season is right around the corner.     😮  Plus, it’s super filling.  That rarely happens with healthy meals.

03Spaghetti Squash And Mushrooms

I’m a big planner so I felt unsettled when I skipped my usual grocery store visit.  I didn’t plan this spaghetti squash ahead of time, but it turned out to be an amazing vegetarian dish.  Maybe planning is overrated?     😉

 

Rating:

3 Hats

Source:  Tina’s Chic Corner

 

Here are some other amazing vegetarian meals.

Eggplant Quinoa Parmesan

04Eggplant Quinoa Parmesian

 

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

07Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

 

Chickpea Cakes

09Chickpea Cakes

Comments

  1. Always looking for healthier cooking ideas. This looks great.

    1. Tina says:

      Thanks Peter!

  2. I’ve definitely done cereal for dinner before too! Especially on days when the husband is working late, and I’m too lazy to cook a meal for just little ole me. *wink*

    The first time I made spaghetti squash I was blown away! So neat how it shreds. I love the idea of mushrooms on top. And of course lots of parmesan : )

    1. Tina says:

      I’m the same way! I get lazy to cook for myself with the hubby is not around. 😉

  3. I love spaghetti squash but my husband and daughter hate it. What a bummer. 🙁 I seldomly get to have it. next time I will certainly add some mushrooms. I bet it’s delicious

    1. Tina says:

      I can relate…my husband does not like quinoa so I don’t make it as often for just myself. More for us, right? 😉

  4. Ashley says:

    This sounds so good – especially with the mushrooms! I don’t use spaghetti squash nearly enough! I am definitely a planner – I wouldn’t survive without my grocery list at the store : ) haha

    1. Tina says:

      Same page! I’d be lost without my grocery list. Ah, the life of a planner. 😉

  5. I love spaghetti squash!! Looks good! I actually am one of those weird people who likes grocery shopping 🙂

    1. Tina says:

      Will you do my grocery shopping for me? 😉

  6. What a simple yet hearty meal! This would be a major hit over here 🙂

    1. Tina says:

      Awesome sauce! 🙂

  7. What a unique dinner idea Tina! It looks great to me, and I love how creative you were! This is a long way from cereal! 🙂

    1. Tina says:

      Haha…thanks Kristi! 🙂

  8. While I’m not fond of shopping in the supermarket, I do love going to our farmers market once a week, it’s so refreshing and personal, makes all the difference, which reminds me I should use spaghetti squash more often!

    1. Tina says:

      Farmers markets are fun! They’re all closed for the winter but I can’t wait for them to open up again. They’re hard to find around me but I love them for all the same reasons you noted. 🙂

  9. Joanne says:

    I love grocery shopping but only if no one else is in the store. Which, in NYC, means that I hate grocery shopping LOL.

    Love this easy spaghetti squash dinner!

    1. Tina says:

      Lol…Sometimes I’ll do my grocery shopping after 8pm knowing that it will be a ghost town. I can deal with that. 😉

  10. Love spaghetti squash, and I’ve never seen it topped with mushrooms before! Looks great!

    1. Tina says:

      Thanks!

  11. This is really cool, Tina! I don’t think I’ve ever tried spaghetti squash and I don’t fancy my chances at finding one anywhere around here, but I’m intrigued to try one some day. I love butternut squash, but it doesn’t do the spaghetti thing … dang!

    1. Tina says:

      I love butternut squash too! I’ve always wondered what kinds of squash are available outside of the US. I love learning about recipes and ingredients from every culture. 🙂

  12. Kelly says:

    Hehe I love cereal for dinner and totally not a fan of grocery shopping when it’s crazy busy that you have to dodge carts 😉 I am a big fan of spaghetti squash though and this dish looks awesome with all the mushrooms and cheese!:)

    1. Tina says:

      Hehe, we are so alike! 🙂

  13. Yum! This dish is comfort food at its best but still really healthy!

    1. Tina says:

      I agree! Thanks. 🙂

  14. Hehe I didn’t get round to go to the store yesterday and it will be cereal for dinner tonight here ;–) I wish I had some of that spaghetti squash, because this looks so much better!

    1. Tina says:

      Haha…I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who has cereal for dinner!

  15. we have yet to combine spaghetti squash with mushrooms! looks great! i am with you on grocery shopping! always leave the store stressed out!

    1. Tina says:

      Blah…grocery stores are a necessary evil. 😉

  16. Julie says:

    I actually LOVE grocery shopping! Grocery shopping and home decorating shopping are my favs. However, I’m finally coming around to love clothes shopping too!

    Great recipe, Tina. I love tasty low carb meals and this one takes the cake. Pinned!

    1. Tina says:

      I love home decorating shops too! Thanks for pinning. 🙂

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