Spaghetti Squash “Pizza” Bowls
Make these easy spaghetti squash pizza bowls tonight! This recipe features marinara, sautéed spinach and cheesy goodness in a spaghetti squash "bowl."
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2024
It’s about time. I teased this recipe in my post on how to cook spaghetti squash (the best way), and I’ve been holding it hostage the past few days. Sorry about that!
I’ve always been skeptical about treating spaghetti squash like regular spaghetti. It does go well with marinara sauce, though, especially when it’s stuffed with garlicky sautéed spinach and topped with golden mozzarella.
I came up with this idea when I had a bunch of leftover cooked spaghetti squash. I had spinach in the fridge and marinara in the pantry, so it was meant to be. I wasn’t sure what to call these cheesy babes. Garlicky spinach spaghetti squash boats was a mouthful, so we settled on pizza bowls. Who doesn’t love pizza?
Unlike delivery pizza, these “bowls” offer extra servings of vegetables and greens. The spaghetti squash contains lots of fiber, so this would be an excellent meal to serve the guy who claims that vegetarian dinners never fill him up. Like my brother, but I love him anyway.
The spaghetti squash takes a while to cook in the oven, but the rest is really easy. If you cook the squash in advance, these will come together quickly. Of note: spaghetti squash varies a lot by size. If you can’t find two medium-to-large spaghetti squashes at the store, buy three small.
Feel free to cook some vegetables with the garlic or change up the greens. You could probably get by with less Parmesan and/or mozzarella, if you’re craving a lighter dish. I can see these being a big hit with kids, too. Please let me know how you like them!
Spaghetti Squash “Pizza” Bowls
Make these easy spaghetti squash pizza bowls tonight! This recipe features marinara, sautéed spinach and cheesy goodness in a spaghetti squash “bowl.” Recipe yields 4 bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 medium-to-large spaghetti squash (about 5.5 pounds total), or 3 small
- 4 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 6 ounces (6 packed cups) baby spinach
- ⅔ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups marinara sauce (I used store-bought)
- 8 ounces (2 cups) grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- To prepare the spaghetti squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- Use a very sharp chef’s knife to cut off the tip-top and very bottom ends of each spaghetti squash. Stand the squash upright on a stable surface and carefully slice through it from top to bottom to divide it in half. Repeat with the other squash.
- Use a large spoon to scoop out the spaghetti squash seeds and discard them. Drizzle the insides of each squash half with 1 teaspoon olive oil and rub it all over the inside. Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over the interiors of the squash, then place them cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until the cut sides are turning golden and the interiors are easily pierced through with a fork. Small squash will be done sooner than large squash, naturally! Leave the oven on for later.
- Meanwhile, cook the spinach: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, until it’s wilted. Set aside.
- Once the squash is done baking, fluff the interiors with a fork to make the insides spaghetti-like. Divide the spinach and Parmesan into the spaghetti squash and stir them into the squash. Season to taste with salt. Spread marinara sauce generously over each (feel free to eyeball this) and top with mozzarella.
- Return the squash to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is spotty brown. Sprinkle with fresh basil and red pepper flakes, if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was beyond amazing! Thank you!!
You’re welcome! Thanks for trying it, Vicki.
Made this for dinner tonight. Oh my, it was so delicious!!! Love it. Thank you for this recipe. Yummy
You’re welcome, Holly!
Thank you ❣
You’re welcome, Joanna!
As a T1 diabetic, I eat a LOT of spaghetti squash because it’s a tasty low carb option. However, it had never occurred to me that I could doctor it up with cheese, sauce, garlic, spinach etc. We tried this tonight and it came out FANTASTICALLY. My husband, who misses lasagna and actual pasta, ate 3 bowls. It’s 5 stars from us!
Love to hear this was just perfect for you and your family, Dana! Thanks for taking the time to review.
Thank you for the low-carb tip! My father was just diagnosed with type two diabetes, and he is not a fan of vegetables, but spaghetti squash is fairly neutral tasting, so I bet he’d eat these (I made them and they’re delicious!).
I made this today. Perfect for a cold weather day and great recipe. I love spaghetti squash but have had trouble making it into an appetizing meal. This recipe is very tasty and pretty too! I ran out of mozzarella and just used parmesan instead. It turned out fine.
Thank you for your great recipes, they never disappoint!
Thank you for sharing, Francoise!
Made this last night. It was amazing. Served with a spinach salad. It was very filling and satisfying! I want to make it again this coming week and maybe add a few mushrooms and olives. I can see how you could easily personalize it with different veggies, but it was wonderful just following the recipe as written.
I’m glad you like the personalization of it! Thanks for your review, Erika.
It was super easy and yummy!
I like that’s it’s a very versatile recipe-thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Bee! Thanks for your review.
I just tried this and it was amazing! Another wonderful recipe from C+K! One question on storage though – is it best to store in the skin as is? With plastic wrap or foil? Or should I scoop out the insides and store it in a container that way? Thanks for the suggestions!
Great to hear, Samantha! It really stores well either way in an air tight container. It depends on your storage and preference.
I made this tonight and YUM! I’m not a huge spaghetti squash fan, but we’ll be making this again soon. I did use pizza sauce instead of marinara, and it was perfectly thick and comforting.
Thank you for sharing, Christina! I appreciate the review.
These are amazing! I made it “as-is” except halved the recipe (cooking for one) and it makes two complete meals for me even halved! So satisfying, yummy and pizza-y :) I made them for my college age daughter on holiday break & she’s in love with them too! I sometimes add sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, red onion along with the parm/spinach/garlic mixture & I use vegan cheese. I have made them with regular cheese & mini turkey meatballs (delish) but I eat 80% plant based and daughters are both vegan so usually I do a vegan version. Now it’s the only way I can eat spaghetti squash!
That sounds wonderful, Terri! Thanks so much for your comment and review.
I made these last night and they were exceptional! I added onion and extra garlic in with the greens, stirred some of the marinara into the squash to bake in the flavor (would skip if short on time), and added a whole can of olives. My partner said they are already one of his favorites! And they look so cute served in the shell “bowl” like that!
Thanks for sharing, Katrina!
These are absolutely delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Diane!
Delicious recipe!! This is the first time I actually enjoyed spaghetti squash. In step 5 I first cooked up some onion and mushrooms and then added spinach and kale to that to get some extra veggies in
I am making this recipe right so far looks amazing…I’m sure it will taste the same…thank u so much :-)
You’re welcome, Rachel! How did you like it?
OMG!!! It was delicious… The entire family loved it…thanks again!!!
This recipe surprised me- it was so tasty! The sweetness of the squash really worked with the spinach and garlic. And spinach is not a favorite of mine, so this was a great flavor profile to find!
The combination is really what makes this delicious! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the combination, Brieann.
Amazing dish, I don’t know why you don’t have a cooking Channel on Youtube or on a network. Your directions are clear, and understandable from the most technical chefs to the most basic chefs. Love your work, can’t wait for your next cookbook to come out (whenever that is)
I’m glad you think they are helpful, Hessel! Thank you for your review.
Wow, Kate! This was sooo good! Made it for our good friend and finicky husband who thinks spaghetti squash is worthless. Used the extra squash half to load up the remaining 3 halves. Both of them LOVED it! I may have over-cheesed the topping but who’s watching, right? Will definitely make this again! Easy prep, too! Thanks for the recipe! P.S. Love your cookbook, too!
Wonderful that it was a hit! Over-cheesed, I love that!
This dish tasted great and was easy to make, all ingredients at hand. I’ll easily recommend. Thank you for sharing .
You’re welcome, Linda!
I made this tonight for dinner, it was delicious, I ate both halves it was that good. I did make some changes, before I roasted the spaghetti squash I salted, and used pepper and oregano. The flavor was great while I was fluffing the squash. I diced half a yellow onion and a small tomato and added them to the spinach and garlic, I used dried oregano, pink salt, coarse ground pepper and some cayenne pepper. The pizza bowls tasted just like pizza. I am stuffed but I am very pleased with this recipe. Try my additions it really was added flavor
Thanks for your comment and review, Dianne!
I will now follow your posts. I just loved this recipe
Is there any chance the squash is supposed to be cooked cut side up? I cooked it cut side down as the recipe says and the squash came out very wet inside and the outside is browned. Maybe spaghetti squash and I just don’t get along?!
Hey Jordan! I definitely prefer the squash cooked the way you did it—if you cook it cut side up, it’s even more wet inside. The browned (caramelized) edges along the cut side add extra flavor. Your squash might have been particularly high in moisture content. You can try it the other way if you want to compare. :)
I usually love corn pizza. I had never tried the different one except for corn. But these squash pizza bowls are looking very very Yummy… I will definitely try it.
Fantastic! Easy to make and wonderfully delicious. I forgot how good spaghetti squash can be. Definitely going to be a regular dish at my house.
This is delicious! It’s become a regular menu item in our house. Even if I reduce the amount of cheese to cut some calories, it is flavorful and satisfying. Thank you.
Thanks for the inspiration! This is my first experience with spaghetti squash, and I was so happy how the “pizza bowl” turned out. I used one large squash, and I ended up with enough leftover for two more meals. Can’t wait to have leftovers at work tomorrow!
I’m glad you loved it!
The most delicious and healthy recipes I have found! Amazing as usual.
Thank you, Jillian!
Tried this today, as I had a pizza craving. My partner and I LOVED it!! This one is a keeper, to add to our regular weekly menu. I added some olives and pepperoni. I was not expecting the spinach to taste so good. Liquid/water collected at the bottom of my “bowl” as I was eating, which did not detract from the taste at all…but I need to find out how to prevent it next time.
Wonderful to hear, Laura! Thanks for sharing.
Going to make Spaghetti squash tonight but I’m going to add pepperoni can’t wait hope it’s delicious and my family will love it
Hi Kate,
Made this for dinner tonight with the addition of sliced sautéed mushrooms & scallions. Wasn’t sure my husband would like it but made it anyway. Well, he loved it! Thank you .
Sounds like a great combination, Diane!
I have been exploring eating more vegetarian dishes. I was intrigued with this one but honestly questioned how the combination would work together. I recently made the spaghetti squash pizza bowls. I used spaghetti sauce instead of marinara sauce. I also roasted the garlic in the oven in tin foil. All I can say, is that this is the best recipe ever! I cannot wait to make it again. It is definitely filling. I really liked this dish!
Made this for my lunch today. Very tasty! I used Rao’s Margharita sauce because I had some on the shelf and was about the right quantity. Two observations after preparing this dish. It might be easier to put the “spaghetti “ into a bowl to mix with the spinach and parm, then distribute that among the shells. Second, I used pre-shredded cheese, which never melts as well as cheese you shred yourself.
Good, solid recipe that I will make again. Now, if I could only get my husband to try it!
I love Rao’s! Thank you for sharing, Susan.
I tried this recipe today and I loved it! This was my first experience with spaghetti squash and can’t believe I waited so long to try it, it’s delicious! I’m loving all your recipes, Kate. You and Cookie are the best!
Thank you for your comment, Marcela! I’m happy you love this and I can’t wait for you to try more recipes!
I have never in my life cooked so many recipes from one blog/cookbook before and have been so consistently impressed – you’ve changed the game for me. This one was unbelievably delicious! Made it for a girls night and was worried it wouldn’t be filling but boy was I wrong. Everyone loved it and felt super satisfied! Thank you for helping me enjoy cooking again, Kate :)
Made this tonight…it was AMAZING! Loved it loved it loved it. Thank you!
I’ve made this more than once and it’s delicious. Thanks so much for another great recipe. I also love your book, Love Real Food!
This recipe was fabulous! My 11yo daughter gobbled it up and my husband loved it! I love spaghetti squash and this was a great way to prepare it. I threw some chopped Beyond Hot Sausage in it too and it turned out delicious. Thank you for sharing this!
I made this tonight with roasted portabello slices since hubby isn’t a spinach fan – DELISH! #1 I love the squash roasted. I had always done it in the microwave and hated how wet it was! #2 My strategy for not cutting my fingers off when halving the whole squash is to microwave it for about 4 min to slightly soften the shell – it is much easier to cut and doesn’t cook the squash!
What a smart way to serve spaghetti squash! I have made this several times and really enjoyed it.
I made a modified version of this tonight, so good! For the veggie filling I subbed some leftover Rataouille (your recipe!) in place of the spinach mixture.
Love your work, I have been gentely creeping on here for years. I don’t know what I would do without your recipes!
Absolutely delicious! It makes it difficult for us to find spinach, but we landed some Power Greens and couldn’t taste the difference. Matter of fact, next time, we may add more! Thank you for sharing your scrumptious recipes. We have had a blast trying them. Love your sweet potato & black bean burgers (and your sweet potato black bean enchiladas for that matter). Tomorrow night, we’ll feast on your Thai red curry. . .
If you’re thinking about making this… DO IT!! My partner isn’t a huge fan of spaghetti squash (I love it any and all ways), but he cannot stop talking about how delicious this is. Seriously, he won’t stop fan-girling long enough to gobble it down at a voracious speed like he usually does with meals. I will absolutely make this again, possibly once every couple of weeks it’s THAT good! Give it a try, you’ll love it too.
Thanks, Kate! I’ve been making your recipes for a long time and need to start commenting to let you know how much I appreciate your hard work! You are a superstar!
Tried this last night for the first time and loved it! We didn’t have spaghetti squash so we subbed butternut squash and we didn’t have spinach so we used mushrooms & mexican squash and it was really tasty! Now I need a spaghetti squash so I can try for real! Thanks.
This is unbelievably delicious!! It’s rare that my husband, 5 year old, and 1 year old will all eat the same thing and they all loved this recipe!! Thank you! I’ll be making this for years to come!
This was delicious!! Even my husband who “doesn’t like spaghetti squash” loved it! We will surely be making it again. We have a friend who planted a ton of squash in their garden and it’s currently producing squash through the roof. Thank you for the delicious dinner and more to come. Much appreciated.
This recipe was fantastic. Although cutting the squash was almost impossible for me. I still really loved it.
I made this without the spinach, but added in pepperoni! So soooo good! It definitely exceeded my expectations! yum!
I would just like to say I am 78 years old have never even tried spaghetti squash I just bought one and I’m going to try it this weekend I hope it tastes as good as everyone says thank you
One of my favorite C+K recipes; so easy, so healthy. Make sure to cook spaghetti squash long enough (we had one small & one medium squash and the small squash was much better because it had time to caramelize in the oven). I use the NYT Cooking Simple Marinara Sauce recipe (also so easy). So excited fall is here so we can eat this one again & again!
Delicious! Even my picky husband liked it. One small change I made was to add a few anchovies to the olive oil prior to adding the spinach. Will make this again, Thank you
You are my first “go to” for all of my vegan/vegetarian meals!! Love them all! Great job :)
I love that, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
This dish was amazing. As a vegan I loved it. Thanks