Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

The other day we were coming home from San Diego and I was telling Steve that fettuccine Alfredo sounded so good. I don’t know where this desire came from, but I did not want to go eat a 600 calorie dish just to fulfill it. So I came home and made this. I couldn’t believe how good it was. I served it right out of the squash “shell” which made it even more exciting.

If you don’t count the squash baking time, which is the vast majority of the time it takes to make this… this is actually a really fast dinner to make!  The sauce comes together in just a few minutes.  I sprinkled the top of my little spaghetti squash boats with a little extra Parmesan and broiled them for a few minutes, but you really don’t need to if you need the extra time.  Mix in the sauce and you’re good to go!

Click here to learn how to bake a spaghetti squash.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 Tablespoon butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk(I used fat-free)
1 Tablespoon cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons extra for topping
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, for optional garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. First, prep the squash. Cut spaghetti squash in half using a large sharp knife, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet covered with water. Bake until tender, about an hour. Alternately, poke a few holes deep into the whole squash with a paring knife. Bake for 60 minutes, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing in half with a large serrated knife. Scoop out the seedy inside leaving the spaghetti strands. Once squash is cooked, use a fork to gently scrape the “spaghetti” strands into the center.
3. For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute while stirring. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Once hot, add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.
4. Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
5. Top each half with a pinch of red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

Enjoy!