Herbed Spaghetti Squash with Mozzarella

Spaghetti squash is the low-carb pasta dupe that actually tastes like something. Roast a halved squash with garlic and butter in its hollow center, and after 90 minutes in the oven you’ll scrape out long, tender strands that look remarkably like pasta and soak up butter just as eagerly.

The smoked mozzarella is what takes this beyond basic steamed squash. Tossed with the hot strands, it melts into stringy, smoky pockets that contrast beautifully with the slight sweetness of the squash. If you can’t find smoked mozzarella, fresh mozzarella plus a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika does close work.

Garlic tucked inside the squash cavity does double duty. It roasts mellow and sweet, then gets mashed into the butter pooling in the hollow. When you scrape the squash, that garlic butter coats every strand.

A cup of fresh basil at the end keeps everything tasting bright. Tear the leaves instead of chopping; torn basil releases its oils slowly and doesn’t go black at the edges.

Serve as a side, a vegetarian main, or a gluten-free base for meatballs.

Kitchen Tips

• Score the squash skin before halving to make cutting safer and easier
• Place cut-side up in the pan so the butter collects in the cavity instead of leaking out
• Test for doneness by piercing with a fork; it should glide through the flesh
• Use two forks to scrape the strands into long ribbons rather than mush
• Let the squash rest 5 minutes after baking; cooling slightly helps strands separate cleanly

Variations

• Swap smoked mozzarella for burrata, fresh mozzarella, or aged provolone
• Add sautéed mushrooms or roasted cherry tomatoes with the cheese
• Toss with pesto in place of garlic butter for a herbaceous twist