These flavorful Roasted Spaghetti Squash Boats are not only healthy but also incredibly versatile and kid-friendly. The seasonings and optional cheese come together to create a low-carb alternative to pizza that also happens to be nutritious and delicious!
If you love crispy squash dishes, try my sautéed butternut squash or air fryer delicata squash fries.
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😋 Why this recipe is great
Healthy Pasta Alternative: Spaghetti squash is a fantastic low-carb, low-calorie alternative to pasta, that when roasted, transforms into tender, spaghetti-like strands that make the perfect vessel for a variety of fillings.
High in Vitamins A & C: Just like my air fryer squash fries, these roasted squash boats are high in fiber and nutrients like vitamins A and C, as well as smaller amounts of vitamin B6 and manganese.
Easy Side or Main Dish: Oven-baked spaghetti squash cooks up in about 45 minutes, and can be seasoned with whatever you tolerate, and even flavored specifically to complement the rest of your meal. We like to use pizza seasonings, but if you find a blend you like, it's a great kid-friendly low histamine meal for holidays.
🧄 Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash: coming from a vining plant, like delicata squash, these mild orange fruits can be stored many months (in wintertime) and taste just as good whether fried or baked. Known for their signature stringy-but-soft consistency, turning a spaghetti squash into dinner is a simple as cutting it in half, drizzling on some oil & sauce, and baking until softened.
Oil: while spaghetti squash is most commonly baked, they can also be microwaved, sautéed, steamed, or air fried. For that you need a low histamine cooking oil that's safe to use at higher temps, like the olive oil I've used here.
You don't need much, either, especially if using an oil sprayer! For an intolerance, use lard or another high-heat oil like refined coconut.
Seasoning: while this is technically optional, I highly recommend using 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of your favorite tolerated seasoning, along with ¼ teaspoon of sea salt per whole spaghetti squash. See the notes section for ideas, though I really like equal parts Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
Fresh Mozzarella: whether you use the shredded stuff, a log, or fresh balls of mozzarella, this is the best cheese for browning and flavoring your squash, though feta or parmesan are popular choices (albeit not low histamine)
See recipe card for full ingredients list and exact quantities.
🔪 How to prep & cut spaghetti squash
- The best way to prep a spaghetti squash for roasting or any other cooking method is to start by washing and lightly scrubbing it if there's any visible dirt.
- The outside can be incredibly hard, so to make cutting easier, you can soften the squash by piercing it with a knife and microwaving it for 3-5 minutes. It will cook about 10 minutes faster if microwaved, so keep that in mind.
- Then cut off the very top and bottom, and cut the squash in half. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and innards, but be careful not to scoop out much of the spaghetti squash's flesh. See directly below for images and more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Remember: the seeds can also be roasted and eaten! Don't toss them if you enjoy roasted or candied pumpkin seeds, as they're very similar.
🧂 Substitutions and variations
Other Squash - other than spaghetti squash, you could also make squash boats with any hardier winter squash, including delicata, butternut, and even honeynut squashes (only one of which needs to be peeled!).
Alternate Oils - since you're baking the squash boats, you do need some high-heat oil. If you can't tolerate or don't want to use avocado oil or olive oil, some good alternatives would be coconut oil, lard, or even ghee. The latter two would add some serious richness to this roasted winter squash recipe!
No Garlic - you can omit the garlic in the recipe for more plain-flavored roast spaghetti squash.
Seasoning & Flavorings - If you know you don’t tolerate one or more of the spices on this squash, you can swap it for a blend of other low histamine herbs and spices you think would go well. You can use anything, but other flavors and seasonings good on spaghetti squash include:
- fresh thyme with garlic
- any premade steak seasoning (if tolerated)
- your favorite low histamine cheese
- dried rosemary & garlic powder
- a plain pesto sauce (a great dipping sauce)
📋 How to roast spaghetti squash: step-by-step
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C), then carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise using a very sharp knife (image 1). Scoop out the seeds and any stringy bits with a spoon, and save for roasting or discarding (image 2).
Step 2. Drizzle the inside of each clean squash half with oil and rub it all over (image 3). Then season each half evenly with the salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried Italian seasoning, and sweet paprika (if using) (image 4).
Step 3. Once the oven is preheated, place the squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased with cooking spray (image 5). Roast the halves in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork (image 6). The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your squash.
Step 4. Once the squash is tender but not fully done, remove it from the oven and use an oven mitt to hold each half or let them cool for a few minutes until safe to handle. Then use a fork to gently scrape and fluff up the insides from off the peel of the squash (image 7), creating those signature spaghetti strands the squash is known for.
Step 5. Once fluffed, if using cheese, sprinkle a quarter cup of mozzarella cheese onto each spaghetti squash half until they're fully covered (image 8). If you want to use sauce and want it under the cheese, add it after fluffing but before sprinkling on the cheese. Then return the halves to brown in the hot oven on convection mode until the cheese is fully melted (about 5-10 minutes).
Step 6. Remove your oven roasted spaghetti squash, let them cool for a couple of minutes, and serve warm with a dollop of sauce (if desired).
⭐ Freezing and reheating
Honestly, I don't like to freeze these. I purposefully use just one squash whenever I make this recipe, as it's very forgiving and can easily be doubled for varying crowd or squash sizes.
However if you need to freeze your squash boats, cook them beforehand without the cheese or other sauce (store it sepatately). Then to reheat them, put them in a preheated oven or air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 5-7 minutes, then serve as desired.
If you're not on a low histamine diet, these spaghetti squash boats can stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days when stored in an air-tight container and cooled to room temperature beforehand.
👨🏻🍳 Recipe notes & tips
Squash Storage: You can store thick winter squash on the counter for a month or two, but mine was bought the week before and still ended up being sprouted (albeit perfectly fine to eat), so use your best judgement when storing squash before making this recipe.
What Sauce?: like with other types of squash, these roasted spaghetti squash halves are only enhanced by the addition of sauce. My husband added tomato sauce to his, but some low histamine sauces to try include lemon basil pesto, red pepper sauce (*my fave), or fresh herb chimichurri.
🍴 What to eat with spaghetti squash boats
🙋🏻♂️ Frequently asked questions
Spaghetti squash pairs well with sweet, nutty, acidic, and buttery flavors. It nicely complements both fresh and dried herbs like basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, and thyme, while also working well with toppings like garlic, cheese, and red sauces.
While you don't have to cut spaghetti squash before cooking, slicing it in half can reduce the cooking time and allows you to remove the seeds beforehand, which is especially important if the squash is srouted. Cutting it also provides the opportunity to season the flesh for added flavor and results in longer, more pasta-like strands after scraping.
Yes, you should remove the seeds from spaghetti squash before cooking, but they are edible if you wash and toast them, just like pumpkin seeds.
If you don't poke holes in a whole spaghetti squash before cooking, steam can build up inside the squash as it heats, potentially causing it to burst in the oven. Poking holes allows steam to escape safely, preventing any kitchen mishaps and ensuring even cooking.
Baked spaghetti squash can turn out watery if it's overcooked or if there was excessive moisture in the squash to begin with. To reduce wateriness, avoid over-salting before cooking, as salt can draw out moisture, and consider roasting the squash cut-side up to allow steam to escape.
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash ~2lbs./1Kg.
- 1 Tablespoon oil olive or avocado work best
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika optional
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese optional
- ½ cup sauce optional - pesto, red pepper sauce, tomato sauce if tolerated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C), then carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise using a very sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds and any stringy bits with a spoon, and save for roasting or discarding.
- Drizzle the inside of each clean squash half with oil and rub it all over. Then season each half evenly with the salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried Italian seasoning, and sweet paprika (if using).
- Once the oven is preheated, place the squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased with cooking spray. Roast the halves in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your squash.
- Once the squash is tender but not fully done, remove it from the oven and use an oven mitt to hold each half or let them cool for a few minutes until safe to handle. Then use a fork to gently scrape and fluff up the insides, creating those signature spaghetti strands the squash is known for.
- Once fluffed, if using cheese, sprinkle a quarter cup of mozzarella cheese onto each spaghetti squash half until they're fully covered. If you want to use sauce and want it under the cheese, add it after fluffing but before sprinkling on the cheese. Then return the halves to brown in the hot oven on convection mode until the cheese is fully melted (about 5-10 minutes).
- Remove your oven roasted spaghetti squash, let them cool for a couple of minutes, and serve warm with a dollop of sauce (if desired).
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