Squash Parmesan Recipe - Baked Spaghetti Squash Nests
Oven baked alongside sweet ripe tomatoes and Italian-style sausage, this baked spaghetti squash parmesan recipe is an easy sheet pan favorite!
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $2.12 per serving
Equipment
- heavy gauge aluminum foil
- sharp chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 teaspoon +1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt divided
- 1 pint cremini mushrooms sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise and salted with 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and allowed to drain in a colander for 30 minutes; do not rinse; may also use Campari's or other sweet compact tomato
- 2 links Italian-style sausage par-boiled; may be pork or beef or may substitute a fully cooked chicken sausage; use a combination of flavors if desired
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic glaze
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese divided, freshly grated; NOT the processed cheese food from a can
- 2 tablespoons basil leaves, mixture of whole and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F with the rack in the middle position. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with heavy gauge aluminum foil and rub 1 teaspoon of olive oil all over. The olive oil layer will be exceptionally thin.
- Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and add the whole raw sausages. Par-boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside.
- Trim squash ends and cut the squash crosswise into 4 equal rounds. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the rounds and the ends on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Use your fingers to distribute the oil, pepper, and salt evenly. Turn the ends cut side down.
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven for 25 minutes and bake the rounds and ends UNDISTURBED.
- While squash is baking, combine mushrooms, tomatoes, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
- At the end of the 25 minutes, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Turn the ends over, exposing the flesh, and do the same with the squash circles. There should be small amounts of golden-brown patches over the surfaces. This will increase as the bake continues. Scatter the tomato and mushroom mixture among the half-baked squash circles and ends. Lay the sausages around the mix place all back into the hot oven for another 20 minutes. Turn the sausages half-way through to promote browning on both sides.
- Remove pan from oven. Use a fork to shred the squash ends first, then the centers of the rings into long strands. Divide the well-caramelized strands from the ends among the four circles and fluff all together within each circle has an equal mix of interior and exterior threads.
- Next slice each sausage link into thick chunks on the diagonal and divide along with the mushrooms and the tomatoes and 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese among the fluffed nests. Turn the oven to the broil setting and place the nests on the rack (still in middle position) for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Use a wide metal spatula to carefully remove each nest to a plate. Garnish with the remaining 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chopped and whole fresh basil leaves, and a healthy drizzle of Balsamic glaze. Offer a simple side dish of fresh garlic bread or a salad and heaps more fresh Parmesan for passing at the table.
Notes
Please Note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not use table salt or iodized salt in any of the recipes you find on Not Entirely Average UNLESS specified otherwise.
Sausage substitutions may be any type of whole or ground protein you desire. If wanting to avoid pork, consider instead beef or chicken sausages, raw or fully cooked.
If using a fully cooked sausage omit the par-boiling in step 2 as well as the tray bake in step 6 and follow package directions for heating instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1nest | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 885mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg