Get your veggie fix with this crave-worthy Cheesy Broccoli Spaghetti Squash recipe! It makes a decadent vegetarian dinner and doubles as a scrumptious side dish too.
This is my 16th spaghetti squash recipe.
I think it’s safe to say this veggie holds a special place in my heart (and stomach!)
If you’re new to the veggie, this recipe is a great place to start!
This recipe is easy to follow, naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, gloriously cheesy, and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. It’s also really freaking delicious. I’m excited for you to try it!
I’ll also teach you my go-to process on roasting spaghetti squash and share a little recap of all my favorite spaghetti squash recipes featuring simple whole-food ingredients without a lot of fuss.
Let’s do this!
Ingredients Needed
- spaghetti squash
- broccoli
- garlic
- olive oil or avocado oil
- heavy cream
- cream cheese (just a little – optional but delish!)
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- freshly grated cheddar cheese
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
For a little kick and extra flavor, feel free to add some crushed red pepper flakes to the mix! I like adding garlic powder to add another dimension of garlic flavor to the mix. Yum!
T-REX friends are welcome to add a protein of choice to this delish dish. Many readers have done this with my spinach and cheese spaghetti squash recipe and loved it!
Nutrition Note
Combining broccoli and spaghetti squash is a great way to supercharge the nutrients on your plate.
From the spaghetti squash, you’ll get a nice dose of vitamin C, B6, and beta carotene as well as some heart-healthy fiber. Broccoli ups the ante as a rich source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, iron, calcium, and potassium. Both are fairly low in carbohdrates.
While this recipe is a great source of vitamins and antioxidants, it’s also just plain tasty! Plus there’s cheese, which as you know is 100% my love language around here.
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- For extra stability while cutting, you can also opt to cut the ends off of the squash first (just a little trim on each side) to create a flat surface to slice through. Then cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp chef’s knife.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Rub the cut side of the squash with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place on rimmed baking dish or sheet, cut side down.
- Roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of your squash, and larger squash will need to roast a bit longer to tenderize. Once it’s ready, the once rock-hard exterior of the squash will be visibly softened with a tender interior and squash strands that easily fluff with a fork. Overcooking will result in soggy squash so be sure to start checking your squash at 35 minutes or earlier if it’s on the smaller side.
- After removing from oven, carefully flip each side over and use a fork to separate the squash into strands.
For easy cutting, you can microwave the spaghetti squash to soften it up just a tad. Pierce it a few times with a knife (to help vent so it doesn’t burst) and cook for for 3-5 minutes. The knife slides through the edges and center much easier this way! Smaller squash will need about 3 minutes while larger ones will be good to go at 4-5 min.
Spaghetti squash can be roasted and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days if you’d like to meal prep and plan ahead for a speedier dinner. No need to serve it in the squash boat if you’re prepping ahead, simply serve this recipe up casserole style in a baking dish.
Cheesy Broccoli Spaghetti Squash
This recipe has a cheesy broccoli mac and cheese vibe to it and I am LOVING it!
It’s cozy and delicious and ready to rock your plate!
The recipe below is for one standard size spaghetti squash cut into two fully loaded squash boats, perfect for sharing or to save half for lunch the next day. Need a larger amount? No worries! Simply double or triple the recipe as needed to serve your crew.
Let’s get our recipe on!
Cheesy Broccoli Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 3 lb spaghetti squash (one medium squash)
- ½ tsp olive oil or avocado oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 TBSP cream cheese (optional but delish!)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated cheddar cheese (medium or sharp) plus extra for topping
Instructions
HOW TO ROAST SPAGHETTI SQUASH
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- For easy cutting, you can microwave the spaghetti squash to soften it up just a tad. Pierce it a few times with a knife (to help vent so it doesn’t burst) and cook for for 3-5 minutes. The knife slides through the edges and center much easier this way! Smaller squash will need about 3 minutes while larger ones will be good to go at 4-5 min.
- For extra stability while cutting, cut the ends off of the squash first (just a little trim on each side) to create a flat surface to slice through. Then cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp chef's knife.
- Scoop out the seeds. Rub the cut side of the squash with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place on rimmed baking dish or sheet, cut side down and roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Once it's ready, the exterior will be visibly softened with a tender interior and squash strands that easily fluff with a fork. Overcooking will result in soggy squash so be sure to start checking your squash at 30 minutes or earlier if it's smaller than 3 pounds.
- After removing squash from oven, carefully flip each side over and use a fork to fluff and separate the squash into strands.
WHILE THE SQUASH COOKS, MAKE THE SAUCE
- Chop broccoli into very small pieces. Peel and mince garlic. If using minced jarred garlic adjust amount used to taste.
- In a medium pot or skillet, bring a drizzle of oil to medium-high heat and sauté broccoli and garlic until broccoli is bright green and tender.
- Add heavy cream and cream cheese (totally optional but totally tasty) and mix well.
- Once cream is bubbling, remove from heat and whisk in parmesan cheese. Season (to taste) with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Optional crushed red pepper can be added for a kiss of spice/flavor.
- Pour broccoli cheese sauce over each fluffed and separated squash boat, stir to mix, and top with extra cheese if desired. If topping with extra cheese place in the still warm oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve and enjoy!
MEAL PREP OPTION
- Spaghetti squash can be roasted and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days if you’d like to meal prep and plan ahead for a speedier dinner.
- No need to serve it in the squash boat if you're prepping ahead, simply serve this recipe up casserole-style in a baking dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for some tasty spaghetti squash recipes?
Here are some of my favorite stuffed squash recipes!
- Spaghetti Squash Parmesan – simple and oh so cozy
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Casserole – great dinner option for the fam
- Parmesan Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp – healthy and protein packed
- Cheesy Pesto Chicken Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash – flavorful and delicious
This spinach stuffed spaghetti squash is my #1 recipe and has over 480 rave reviews. Love it so!
I also have a full tutorial on Roasted Spaghetti Squash with even more recipes.
If you get a chance to try this cheesy broccoli spaghetti squash recipe, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
This is such a great way to get the veggies in! Love this one.
Thanks Katie!
I enjoyed this as a vegetarian entree and it was so hearty and filling. I used cream cheese and would recommend it.
Ahh yay! So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks Kristine.