Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Toasted Pine Nuts, Sage, & Parmesan

Roasted spaghetti squash with toasted pine nuts, sage, and Parmesan is the low-carb side that doesn’t pretend to be pasta but happily lives next to it on the plate. Half a spaghetti squash roasts face-down in a baking dish until the flesh pulls apart into long, tender strands with a fork. That simple step is where most of the flavor comes from: the slow oven concentrates the squash’s natural sweetness and gives the strands a subtle nutty character without any fuss.

Once forked out, the strands meet pine nuts toasted to golden and a generous handful of fresh chopped sage. A few tablespoons of grated parmigiano add the salty, umami punch that the squash alone lacks, and a drizzle of good olive oil or melted butter pulls it all together.

Serve as a side to roast pork, chicken, or sausage, or pile it under a ladle of marinara and meatballs for a low-carb pasta stand-in.

Kitchen Tips

• Halve the squash carefully with a sharp, heavy knife. A dull knife slips and a small knife doesn’t reach through the tough skin. Microwaving the whole squash for two minutes first softens it enough to cut safely.
• Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet, not the oven, and keep an eye on them. They go from golden to burnt fast.
• Fork out the squash while it’s still warm but not scorching. Cold squash turns stringy; hot squash shreds cleanly into those long trademark strands.

Variations

• Swap pine nuts for toasted walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds for a less pricey nut option.
• Add crumbled cooked bacon or pancetta for a non-vegetarian version with smoky depth.
• Use fresh thyme or rosemary in place of sage, or a mix of all three for a herbes de Provence lean.