Spaghetti Squash Pan Pizza
So…have you ever had a meal and it was so good you wanted to repeat it immediately? The first time I made this Spaghetti Squash Pan Pizza, that’s exactly what happened for me and Kyle! We finished the whole thing that night and I made it again two days later for lunch. It was so darn good!
Is Spaghetti Squash Pan Pizza Really a Pizza?
Of course, the squash does not have any resemblance to pizza dough but once it is all in the pan, it definitely looks like a pizza. Call it a casserole if it makes you feel better or even a hot dish if you’re from the Midwest. The word casserole conjures up a vision of brown things to so many people that I tend to reserve that word only for when I am remaking a classic that has casserole in the name like this one or this one.
How do you make Spaghetti Squash Pan Pizza?
I have to admit…I don’t like spaghetti squash. At least I thought I didn’t and maybe still don’t except for this pan pizza. I baked the squash until it was not quite tender and then used a fork to remove the strands. (See below for how I now bake it to make sure the strands are manageable.) Mixed with Myokos butter (my new favorite culture dairy-free butter!) or regular butter and Magic Salt and even a little Parmigiano Reggiano if you do eat dairy, the squash becomes much less sweet and the perfect base for all your favorite pizza toppings. We used sausage, pepperoni, sauteed red onions and peppers, garlic, jalapeno stuffed olives, and oil-cured black olives. I have been experimenting with hard cheese to see how they work for me and the Parmigiano Reggiano seems to be working fine, so we used some of that. It truly was so delicious that since the first time I made it, I have made it 2 or 3 more times and it’s only been a few weeks since that first time!
Spaghetti Squash Tips and Tricks
I have ALWAYS cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise which was always a little scary as I was afraid I would cut my fingers off trying to hack through the hard outer skin. I hate microwaving it which is one trick, but I usually ended up doing that to mitigate the finger hacking risk. Then I remembered seeing someone post somewhere that they cut spaghetti squash into horizontal thick slices and roast that way and it worked like a charm. I will warn you, no matter how tempting, do not put water in the pan to roast it. I did that one of the times I made this and the “crust” was anything but crusty. Just let nature take its course between water in the squash and the hot oven. It works like a charm.
Spaghetti Squash Pan Pizza
Ingredients
1 med (about 2 lbs) spaghetti squash
2 tbsp Myokos butter or regular butter (or olive oil is fine, too)
2 tsp Magic Salt (or salt, garlic powder and pepper)
1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, finely shredded or 2 tbsp nutritional yeast if you are completely dairy free
Your favorite pizza toppings and pizza sauce if desired
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the squash into 2” thick rings, discarding seeds.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is flexible and you can use a fork to separate strands.
- Separate the squash into strands and mix with the butter, Magic Salt and cheese, if using.
- Spread in a pan (can be a large cast-iron skillet or a small baking sheet that has sides)
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges start to brown and crisp up. Add all toppings and bake again if desired, or just serve right away.