By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(1,300)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Recently on the Recipes for Health page on Facebook, I asked readers what they were finding in their weekly delivered produce boxes. Requests for spaghetti squash recipes came pouring in. I was working on basil dishes already, so I decided to combine the two ingredients in this gratin.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves six as a main dish, eight as a side
- 1spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds
- 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3large eggs
- ½cup low-fat milk
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh basil (¼ cup basil leaves)
- 2ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (½ cup)
- 2tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
182 calories; 10 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 719 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the squash in several places with a sharp knife. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and place the squash on top. Bake for one hour, turning the squash every 20 minutes until it is soft and easy to cut into with a knife. Remove from the heat, and allow the squash to cool until you can handle it. Cut in half lengthwise, and allow to cool further. Remove the seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh, and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the spaghetti-like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups squash. (Use whatever remains for another dish, or freeze.)
Step
2
Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
Step
3
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, salt (about ½ teaspoon), pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the Gruyère, and combine well. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan or pecorino over the top, and gently press down to moisten.
Step
4
Bake 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned and sizzling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Tip
- Advance preparation:The baked spaghetti squash will keep for four days in the refrigerator. The gratin can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. The recipe can be made through step 2 several hours before completing the gratin and baking.
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1,300
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Cooking Notes
S.W. Hubbard
You can save time by steaming the squash in the microwave. Piece it with a knife in a few places and nuke for 5 minutes to soften. Then cut in half, remove the seeds and place the haves in a glass dish with a little water. Steam for another 5 or 6 minutes until the squash can be pulled out with a fork. Mine turned out quite good. I upped the cheese.
Weslie
in lieu of fresh basil, i used about 2 large tablespoons of pesto from last years basil crop. also i grated some nutmeg per other suggestions. it turned out very good and a good use of spaghetti squash. will do it again for sure
Bahram Keramati
Good recipe. I agree with many others that the mixture before baking was too wet. I would try wringing some moisture out of the squash or using less milk, or both. Or even just two eggs?
Also, I would try more Gruyere, perhaps 4 ounces instead to 2?
Finally the final bake temperature is not specified. I used the same 375 and it worked fine.
Paul S
To get the texture right, salt the squash, let it rest a few minutes and squeeze out some of the excess moisture using your hands, as you would zucchini. A few pepper flakes were a welcome spicy addition to this Sunday veg meal.
Bianca
I cooked the spaghetti squash and chopped the onions the day before. This made the cooking time the day after much easier and quicker - about an hour including baking time. I squeezed the spaghetti squash with a cheesecloth to reduce the moisture and only added two eggs and ⅛ cup milk - the texture was perfect. I also added some breadcrumbs on top to give it a little crunch and mixed in some roasted red peppers for a little spice. I’ll absolutely make this again!
Charlotte Still Noble
I added a layer of fresh tomato slices - and the result is fabulous. This recipe is a keeper!
Garrett
Wanted to add a note about peoples concerns over the wateriness of the dish. After the squash has cooled enough to handle, grab handfuls of it and squeeze the heck out of it over the sink prior to putting it in the pan. This should do the trick.
Val
This was delicious, I made the spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot (steam function, halved or quartered on the steamer rack for 10mins with a cup of water) the day before. I strained it in the fridge until the next day and it was perfectly dry and made for a nice light consistency in the finished product. Will definitely make again.
Lynn
This recipe is a keeper. The variations you can make are endless. You can vary the spices and the cheeses. There are lots of things to add. I made it with black olives and feta cheese.
John
my wife loved it; I added more cheese Western Family (a NW low end brand) pre-shredded Cheddar; I know, I'm a Cretan
brutallyfrank
This was delicious though, with the eggs, really more of a kugel than a gratin. I added a lot more cheese (about 6 oz) and a generous grating of nutmeg. It was a big hit!
Karen
I didn't have fresh basil so used 2 tsp. dried. Otherwise I followed the recipe and it came out great. It is a bit time consuming, but worth it! Leftovers were just as good reheated a few days later.
G'day REW
My aunt introduced me to this recipe - her addition: about 1 cup of brown rice - added a bit more density and "stick with you". Fabulous recipe!
lulu in minnesota
My family loved this! They argued over who got the last serving and my husband asked me to double it next time. I followed the recipe, except I used Swiss instead of gruyere and a little more fresh basil. It tasted good and was healthy!
John
nutmeg sounds like a great touch!
Christa
This recipe was very flavorful, warming, and aromatic and easy to make. I used methi leaf rather than basil as it was March and methi leaf was what I had on hand.
Mary
I followed this recipe exactly (with the minor exception of adding sauteed bacon bits) and it turned out perfectly. I think the key to it not being watery was the cooking of the squash in the skillet along with the bacon, onions and garlic. I sure liked cooking the squash whole as it made it so easy to cut!
Mary
Follow recipe using 2 1/2 lb squash. Use green onion instead of regular, use half milk half white wine, lots of bacon.
Victoria C
Made exactly as written and it was delightful. Squash was not too watery, although I suspect that's going to vary each time. I may throw in a little finely chopped spinach next time, just to get some extra veggies.
Victoria C
This was fantastic. No issue with the squash being too wet. Next time, I think I'll sautee mushrooms with the onions. I like the idea of breadcrumbs on top for a little added texture. Perfectly delicious as written though.
jolee
Yum. Did wring well and doubled the cheese about 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Egg Father
Delicious! I followed advice from the comments to drain the squash overnight and use 1/4 cup milk. I added some leftover bread crumbs to the top too.
BakerRee
For spaghetti squash recipes, this is one of the best. I subbed Gruyere for Gouda, and basil for sage and parsley, and whole milk and it came out wonderful.
Wren
Depending on squash, size and freshness, I’ve found baking for an hour can turn it to mush. I check at 30 minutes and pull it by 40 minutes. Might be a bit Al dente but it keeps some texture.
butterbean
As written works great and I’ve also used this as a base to play with (nothing wild- adding a bit of flour to create a roux, deglazing with wine, using some broth, etc). I generally go stove top to oven in a cast iron to cut back on dishes. Goes well with a bright, lemony salad and some garlic bread. Sausages or roast chicken are good additions if you’ve got someone who needs a meat.
aehtorod
Melt-in-your-mouth delicious.Just for the record, because they were what I had, I substituted heavy cream for skimmed milk; fresh parsley and dill for basil; Monterrey Jack for Camembert; and, I added crimini mushrooms. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!!
gratin notes
Add nutmeg and panko breadcrumbs too
Terry Neal
Delicious. I love spaghetti squash but serving it like spaghetti doesn’t work. This recipe changes all that. Thank you!
Dacia and Chris
This dish was amazing!Some things I did different-I cut then air fried my squash on 360 for 20 mins, it got rid of all moisture, my dish was not watery at all. I used the entire inside of the squash (minus seeds) I didn’t measure out 4 cups.I added Aleppo pepperI used pesto sauce instead of basilI added Italian seasoningI used a shallot I used 4oz of GruyèreI used left over half & half and heavy cream instead of low fat milk.
lauren
This has become a family favorite. Made second batch in a week.
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