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I can still remember the first time I ate spaghetti squash. It was many years ago at a restaurant in Boston – and I remember being so intrigued by a squash that, when cooked, has flesh that resembles strands of spaghetti! It was love at first bite – with a delicate and almost buttery taste – and to this day, I could eat spaghetti squash almost any day of the week and never grow tired of it!
This recipe for Spaghetti Squash Gremolata is one of my favorite ways to prepare this versatile and delicious vegetable! A gremolata is a chopped herb condiment – always made with grated lemon peel – and most often combined with garlic and parsley (although other variations of herbs are also fantastic!). We combined our gremolata with a sauce made from sautéed fresh red tomatoes, and then topped the dish with additional uncooked, chopped fresh yellow garden tomatoes – and I must say, the combination of these wonderful flavors is the perfect complement to the tender roasted spaghetti squash! It’s a healthy and delicious dish — plus I think it’s gorgeous to look at as well!
Spaghetti squash is so easy to cook at home – you can actually roast it whole in the oven, or (like we do in this recipe) cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and then roast it cut-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan until tender. We prefer the ‘cut-in-half’ method – in part, because it’s easier to tell when the squash is done, but also because the flesh becomes slightly caramelized in the oven – which adds even more delicious flavor. Either way you cook it, you are sure to love this spaghetti squash gremolata as much as we do!
Note: You can just as easily make this gremolata and serve it over cooked pasta instead of the cooked spaghetti squash. Simply substitute one for the other. The other ingredients stay the same. Enjoy!
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Spaghetti Squash Gremolata
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some extra for drizzling at the end
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
- 3 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes diced, or two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped and divided
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 yellow tomato, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove stem from the spaghetti squash and slice squash in half from top to bottom. Remove seeds and place squash cut side down on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until squash is able to pull away from sides in strands. The last 15 minutes is critical to get the texture just right. If you remove it too soon, the squash will not pull away from the skin. Too long and it will be overcooked . After 45 minutes, check for doneness and continue cooking as needed.
- As the squash cooks, prepare the sauce. In a medium to large sauté pan, place two tablespoons of the oil and heat to medium hot over medium heat. Add half of the garlic and stir. Immediately add the red tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for ten minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in half the parsley, half the lemon zest and all of the lemon juice.
- In a small bowl, combine the other half of the garlic, the other half of the parsley and the other half of the lemon zest. Once mixed, set aside.
- Once the squash is ready and you have pulled the flesh from the skin, place the cooked squash on a serving platter. Top with the tomato sauce mixture, then the parsley mixture (gremolata). Then top with the chopped yellow tomato. Finally finish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top and serve.
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I made this today adding fresh basil and oregano from my garden. It was absolutely incredible. Loved it! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks for writing to us Teresa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I love spaghetti squash, and this recipe looks amazing, Martha! Pinned!
Thank you Heidi! 🙂
Do you have the nutritional facts for this recipe? Curious on the carb content.
Thanks!
~Kristine
No – I’m sorry we don’t. But there are some free online tools like My Fitness Pal that you could use if you need that sort of information! Hope that helps!
I love spagetti squash! I am trying this recipe out! Pinned!
Thanks Amy!
Mmm! Just made spaghetti squash for the first time earlier this week and absolutely LOVED it! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Kristin – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This was amazing! We used fresh basil as we were out of parsley and sprinkled with lemon infused olive oil. So much flavor and great color.
Thanks Vivien!
How would this taste with ground beef added into the sauce? Just curious. Looks delicious either way!
Hi Hayley – A gremolata by nature is very citrusy with the lemon zest plus other herbs – so, while I don’t think it would taste bad if you added ground beef, if you are looking for a more traditional meat sauce flavor you might consider a recipe like this: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/spaghetti-squash-with-meat-sauce-46-pts.html. Hope that helps!
This is a wonderful recipe. I never thought of using squash and Gremolata together. Thanks for the idea
Thanks!!
This looks fabulous! I can’t wait to try it. I have never cooked spaghetti squash, but have always wanted to do so. Thanks for a such a delicious recipe to this!
Thanks Jodee!
Oh this looks delicious! I have been trying to eat more veggies and this looks like a great way to do that!
Thanks Kathy!