Easy Microwave Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash on fork over red ramekin.

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Lightly seasoned spaghetti squash with butter and goat cheese; NO OVEN REQUIRED

Prep Time7

Cook Time10

Total Time17

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1/2 cup servings

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

Equipment

Super sharp chef's knife
4 4"inch ramekins or 8" x 6" baking dish See recipe notes
Microwave oven
Microwave-safe baking dish
Plastic wrap
Thick dish towel or tongs

Ingredients

2 pound spaghetti squash (you'll need 3½ -4 cups of spaghetti squash strands); See recipe notes
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (for the recipe) See recipe notes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 tablespoon for the baking dish; 1 tablespoon divided for the topping
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
½ teaspoon salt See Recipe Notes
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (optional) for topping

Instructions

Prep

Lightly butter four 4" inch ramekins and set aside
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Wash squash and pierce skin with a fork 8-12 times evenly around the squash
2 pound spaghetti squash
Place whole squash in microwave and cook on high setting for 4 minutes; let the squash cool a bit before removing it (it will be HOT!); then, wrap a dish towel around it to remove it from the microwave or use a pair of heavy-duty tongs
With a super sharp knife, cut off the ends and discard
Cut squash in half lengthwise; use a big spoon and remove the seeds and dark orange strands; discard
Place the squash halves cut side up in a microwave-safe baking dish; Add ½ cup water to the baking dish; cover with plastic and return to microwave; cook for 8-10 minutes (until you can easily pierce the pulp with a fork)

Assemble the recipe

Use a fork and scrape the strands of pulp out of the squash halves; transfer to a medium size mixing bowl
Add butter and combine until the strands are coated; add in goat cheese crumbles and combine well
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (for the recipe), ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Season with onion powder, ground thyme, black pepper, salt
⅛ teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground thyme, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
Scoop ½ cup of squash mixture into prepared ramekins or baking dish; top each with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese then place ¼ tablespoon of butter on each ramekin
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Place ramekins in microwave and cook 1-2 minutes on high, until the butter starts to melt; remove and allow to cool slightly before serving

Notes

Ramekins

I used four 4"inch ramekins which hold about ½ cup each; you can also make this in a small 8" X 6" casserole dish or, double the recipe and bake it in an 8" X 8" dish

Spaghetti squash and Yield

I used a 2-pound squash and got about 3½ - 4 cups of cooked spaghetti strands which yielded four ½ cup servings.

Unsalted butter

If you only have salted butter, use that - just omit adding any additional salt until you taste the squash after its been mixed with the cheese.

Nutrition