• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Swirls of Flavor
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Meet GG
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Meet GG
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Meet GG
    • Contact
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Meal Planning » Meatless Monday » Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti

    Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti

    Published: Jan 9, 2017 Modified: Oct 11, 2021 by GG

    137 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Cacio e Pepe spaghtti squash on a white platter
    Spaghetti squash puts a healthy spin on Cacio e Pepe, the classic Italian recipe known for the simplest of ingredients. Perfect for Meatless Monday or a vegetable side dish! spaghetti | vegetarian | squash | easy recipe | dinner | #swirlsofflavor
    cacio pepe squash spaghetti on platter with text overlay
    Spaghetti squash with cheese and pepper

    An easy recipe, our Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti is a twist on the traditional Italian cacio e pepe recipe and is perfect for Meatless Monday or a vegetable side dish! Roasted spaghetti squash becomes your pasta!

    Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti on white platter

    Squash Spaghetti

    Cacio e Pepe, "cheese and pepper", is typically a classic Italian pasta dish made with spaghetti, cheese and pepper along with some of the pasta water.

    Our Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti puts a healthy low carb spin on this traditional recipe known for the simplest of ingredients. 

    I elevated our spaghetti squash recipe up a notch with freshly ground tricolor peppercorns that add specks of color. Just 2 tablespoons of butter replace the pasta water.

    With summer produce abundant now, I love making the traditional "cheese and pepper" pasta recipe with baked spaghetti squash.

    Have you ever made spaghetti squash? After roasting the squash to delicious tenderness, running a fork over the roasted flesh forms strands that resemble spaghetti pasta. So cool!

    Not only does the squash make this recipe seasonal and low carb, it becomes a plant based recipe too. And living a plant based lifestyle is a healthy way to go these days! 

    Speaking of squash, our pasta with butternut squash recipe cooks in just one pot and is oh so delicious!

    Be sure to visit the Swirls of Flavor Amazon Storefront for GG's kitchen recommendations!

    Spaghetti Squash FAQ’s

    a bunch of spaghetti squash in a bin

    Is spaghetti squash healthy?

    Spaghetti squash is healthy and provides:

    • beta carotene
    • calcium
    • folic acid
    • iron 
    • potassium
    • vitamin A
    • vitamin B6
    • vitamin C

    Spaghetti squash is also:

    • gluten free 
    • low in calories, about 42 calories per 1 cup serving (I'm loving that!)
    • contains no fat (I'm loving that even more!)

    How to select a spaghetti squash

    When selecting a spaghetti squash look for one that is:

    • an even yellow color
    • firm with no soft spots
    • has no green spots

    How do you serve spaghetti squash?

    The fun part about cooking a spaghetti squash is that once it is cooked and tender it will shred into spaghetti-like strands when you scrape a fork through the soft flesh! So cool!

    What to serve with spaghetti squash

    • Cucumber Tomato Salad
    • Fennel Salad
    • Cucumber Salad

    cacio e pepe spaghetti squash with green napkin

    How to make spaghetti squash cacio e pepe

    Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below

    • Preheat oven to 400F.
    • Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
    • Brush cut sides of squash with 1 Tbs. melted butter. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper, if desired.
    • Roast, cut sides down, on baking sheet for 45 minutes or until squash is tender.
    • Let cool 15 minutes then, using a fork, scrape the cut sides so that spaghetti-like stands form.
    • Toss strands with remaining 2 Tbs. melted butter, Parmesan cheese and peppercorns.
    • Garnish with Parmesan shavings, if desired. 

    Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tip

    Don’t throw away those spaghetti squash seeds! For a delicious snack, spaghetti squash seeds can be roasted just like pumpkin seeds!

    To roast spaghetti squash seeds simply:

    • Preheat your oven to 300F
    • Wash and dry the seeds
    • Toss them in about a tablespoon of oil until evenly coated
    • Sprinkle with kosher salt
    • Arrange the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet
    • Roast the seeds in the oven for 15-20 minutes

    Substitutions

    • Feel free to use black peppercorns in place of the tricolor peppercorns
    • You can use olive oil instead of the butter

    Recipes With Squash

    • Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    • Butternut Squash Soup
    • Butternut Squash Lasagna via Grumpy’s Honeybunch

    Easy Pasta Recipes

    Still craving your pasta? then I've got some simple pasta recipes for you that you are going to love!

    Left to right: Instant Pot Spaghetti; zucchini Pomodoro; One Pot Penne Pomodoro

    Our Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Tomato Sauce recipe is so easy to make. Spaghetti cooks together with just 6 ingredients from your pantry (+ water) for a quick and easy homemade marinara sauce.

    Zucchini Pasta Pomodoro is bursting with the summertime flavors of zucchini noodles, tomatoes and fresh basil. Zucchini noodles replace your high carb pasta in this recipe.

     And then there’s one of my favorite go-to recipes, One Pot Penne Pomodoro, a pasta that’s flavored in a light buttery tomato broth with garlic, onion and lots of tomatoes. As the penne cooks it forms it’s own sauce, all in one pot! It doesn’t get better or easier than one pot recipes folks!

    I make commissions for purchases made through links in this post.





    Print
    5 from 3 votes

    Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti

    An easy recipe, our Cacio Pepe Squash Spaghetti is a twist on the traditional Italian cacio pepe recipe and is perfect for Meatless Monday or a vegetable side dish! Roasted spaghetti squash becomes your pasta!
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword cacio pepe, spaghetti squash with cheese, squash spaghetti
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 180kcal
    Author Gwynn Galvin

    Ingredients

    • 1 spaghetti squash , about 2 pounds
    • 3 Tbs. butter , melted and divided
    • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 tsp. freshly ground tricolor peppercorns OR 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
    • Parmesan shavings , optional garnish

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400F.
    • Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
    • Brush cut sides of squash with 1 Tbs. melted butter. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper, if desired.
    • Roast, cut sides down, on baking sheet for 45 minutes or until squash is tender.
    • Let cool 15 minutes then, using a fork, scrape the cut sides so that spaghetti-like stands form.
    • Toss strands with remaining 2 Tbs. melted butter, Parmesan cheese and peppercorns.
    • Garnish with Parmesan shavings, if desired.

    Notes

    Makes 4 cups/ 4 servings
    Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tip
    Don’t throw away those spaghetti squash seeds! For a delicious snack, spaghetti squash seeds can be roasted just like pumpkin seeds!
    To roast spaghetti squash seeds simply:
    • Preheat your oven to 300F
    • Wash and dry the seeds
    • Toss them in about a tablespoon of oil until evenly coated
    • Sprinkle with kosher salt
    • Arrange the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet
    • Roast the seeds in the oven for 15-20 minutes
    Substitutions
    • Feel free to use black peppercorns in place of the tricolor peppercorns
    • You can use olive oil instead of the butter

    Nutrition

    Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 1mg
    First Published: January 9, 2017... Last Updated: October 11, 2021 for better readability and user experience

    What does cacio e pepe mean?

    Cacio e pepe means “cheese and pepper”.

    Related Posts

    • One Pot Greek Lemon Dill PastaOne Pot Greek Lemon Dill Pasta
    • Butternut Squash Macaroni ‘N CheeseButternut Squash Macaroni ‘N Cheese
    • White Bean & Escarole SoupWhite Bean & Escarole Soup
    • Balsamic Pasta Salad CapreseBalsamic Pasta Salad Caprese

    « Spiced Sweet Potatoes
    Five Fabulous Avocado Toasts »

    About GG

    Gwynn Galvin, known to many as GG, is the creative and talented chef and nutritionist behind Swirls of Flavor. Gwynn is an award-winning culinary professional with over twenty five years of recipe development, food styling, test kitchen management and culinary innovation experience. Gwynn's passion is gathering people around the table with her simple real food recipes to savor the moments together.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rose Martine

      November 08, 2020 at 11:10 pm

      5 stars
      You are so talented and patient!! I'm sharing some of your treats tomorrow on my blog. Thanks so much for linking up to my Red, White, Blue & You Link Party! I always love everything you make!

    2. Teodora Grujic

      October 15, 2021 at 5:39 pm

      5 stars
      This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!

    3. GG

      October 26, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words Teodora. Happy cooking, GG

    Thanks for stopping by. Leave a tip or comment...

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    GG, owner and creator of Swirls of flavor website

    Hi there, I'm Gwynn, the creator of Swirls of Flavor. Welcome to my kitchen where delicious memories are made. My passion is bringing people together through food. I create easy, family friendly recipes made with fresh, simple ingredients. So come on in and gather round the table. Let's Cook, Share and Savor the Moments together.

    More about me →

    Join my Recipe Club!

    Sign up for the newsletter and get my 7 Simple One Pot Suppers eBook for free!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet The Chef
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Resources

    • Archives
    • Blogger Resources
    • Recipe Index

    Contact

    • Contact GG
    • Let's Work Together

    COPYRIGHT © 2021 SWIRLS OF FLAVOR · IMPLEMENTED BY WPOPT