(This Parmesan Bacon Spaghetti Squash recipe can be found on the site Home Cooking Memories here.)
Step by Step Instructions:
With only a few ingredients you’ll soon be enjoying this delicious Parmesan Bacon Spaghetti Squash. Here’s all you need: Salt, 1 Spaghetti Squash, shredded Parmesan Cheese, Pepper, 4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, and 1/2 pound of Bacon. Note that you can use up to 8 tablespoons of Butter and a full pound of Bacon if you prefer or if you have a large squash. I wanted to keep it a little healthier. (Not pictured: Olive Oil.)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Also grab 1-2 baking sheets and line them with a Silpat or parchment paper. Then slice off the stem of the squash and discard. Pro tip: If you are using a sharp knife but still have difficulty cutting the squash, microwave for 30 seconds at a time. This will soften the skin a bit to make it a little easier to cut.
Then slice the squash into about 1-inch slices. You’ll notice that the bottom rings have a flattened side. I did that to provide a bit more stability when slicing so that the squash didn’t slide around on me.
Next up you want to remove the seeds and membranes of each ring. You can use a spoon to scoop it out, or I grabbed some round biscuit cutters and used those to quickly remove the seeds.
Place the squash slices on the lined baking sheet. Then drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Flip each slice so that both sides are coated with a little oil. (You can skip this step, but I believe in seasoning food as you go.) Then bake the squash for 40-45 minutes flipping the squash over halfway through.
While the squash cooks, cook up your bacon. I cooked my 1/2 pound of bacon in my NuWave oven (8 minutes then flip and cook another 3 minutes). Alternatively, you can cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook until crispy on the stovetop.
Cook up the bacon until it’s crispy.
Oh I really wish this picture was scratch and sniff. Bacon cooked to perfection!
When the squash is done, you should be able to use a fork and the strands should easily pull away as you see here.
Let the squash cool for 3-5 minutes so it’s easier to handle. Then use a fork to pull the strands away from the outer skin. Discard the skin and transfer the spaghetti squash to a large bowl.
Here is all of the squash removed from the skin. If it’s still warm, proceed to the next step. If not, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.
Slice the butter into small pieces.
Then add the butter to the warm squash. Stir until the butter is melted and the squash is coated. I found that 4 tablespoons was really more than I needed, so I discarded leftover butter that I didn’t feel like I needed.
If you haven’t chopped your bacon yet, give it a rough chop so you have bite-sized pieces.
Parmesan Bacon Spaghetti Squash is nearly yours! Add the chopped bacon and 1 cup of shredded Parmesan to the squash.
Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the Parmesan Bacon Spaghetti Squash right away and top with a little sprinkle of more shredded Parmesan if you would like. Enjoy & happy squashing!!
- 1 large Spaghetti Squash (about 4½ pounds)
- ½ pound Bacon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Then line 1-2 baking sheets with a Silpat or parchment paper.
- Slice the stem end off of the spaghetti squash. Then slice the squash into 1-inch slices. If you are having a difficult time slicing the squash, microwave it for 30 seconds at a time to soften the skin. Be sure to use a sharp knife to get through the tough skin. Remove the seeds in the center of each ring of squash.
- Place the spaghetti squash rings on the lined pans. Then drizzle a little olive oil over each slice and salt and pepper the squash. You can then flip them so each slice has a bit of oil on it. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the squash easily separates into strands with a fork. I’d recommend flipping each slice halfway through baking.
- While the squash bakes, cook your bacon. You can use ½ pound to a pound of bacon depending on how much you want. Cook with your preferred method. I used my NuWave and then cut them into pieces. Alternatively you can cut the bacon into pieces and cook on the stove top until they’re crispy.
- When the squash is cooked, allow it to cool for 3-5 minutes so you can handle it a bit. Then scrape the spaghetti squash away from the skin and transfer the squash to a bowl and discard the outer skin.
- Toss the squash with the butter until the butter is melted and the squash is coated. Add the bacon and a cup of shredded Parmesan to the squash and combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. You can top it with more shredded Parmesan if you’d like. Enjoy!
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