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Embrace fall flavors with this easy roasted spaghetti squash! It’s tossed with fragrant sage brown butter and crunchy hazelnuts for a flavorful side dish.

Two baked spaghetti squash halves topped with shredded cheese, herbs, and chopped nuts, served in a round dish on a white surface with a fork and orange napkin nearby.

Even though I’ve been visiting farmers markets for years, I still get excited when I see something I haven’t before.

Recently it was hazelnuts, picked off the tree in clustered husks. I love the flavor of hazelnuts, and knew just how to use them.

Enter simple roasted spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash itself doesn’t taste like much; it’s more mildly sweet than its other winter squash compatriots. That means it can take on a variety of flavors, from pesto to tomato sauce, to brown butter and sage.

I use brown butter and sage a lot in the fall. It’s easy to make while the spaghetti squash roasts. Add in some crunchy hazelnuts and you have a great seasonal dish!

Ingredients for roasted spaghetti squash

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

Top-down view of labeled ingredients on a white surface: sage, spaghetti squash, hazelnuts, garlic, and butter.

You’ll need:


  • Spaghetti squash
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • Fresh sage leaves
  • Hazelnuts
  • Salt and pepper

seasonal spotlight: spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash can often be found year-round, but its peak season is fall and early winter. The squash should be uniformly pale yellow in color, with no green spots. In general, it will keep at room temperature, uncut, for about 3 weeks.

Hazelnuts are of course easier to get from the grocery store (they’re sometimes labeled as filberts). If you are cracking the hazelnuts yourself, make sure your nutcracker is the right size. Mine does not crack small nuts, so you can do what I did, and crack the nuts using a meat mallet.

Make sure to wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel or place in a (sealed) plastic bag before cracking, or you’ll have a big mess. I also recommend doing this on a sturdy but not fancy cutting board rather than directly on your countertops, to prevent dents.

Close-up of hazelnuts partially covered by dry, brown husks and leaves.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil for easy cleanup.

Using a large, sharp knife, carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Due to the hard rind it can be difficult to make the halves even, so don’t worry if they’re slightly wonky! You can leave the stem on for presentation, if you like.

Scoop out the seeds and inner membrane. I like to use a melon baller for this, but a spoon works as well. 

Rub the cut sides with a little bit of olive oil. Place the halves cut-side down on the baking sheet.

Two halves of roasted spaghetti squash placed cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Roast for 30-40 minutes, until squash is tender. The exact timing will depend on the size of your squash, so start checking it at 30 minutes, and add more time as needed. 

When the squash is done cooking, remove it from the oven and flip it over so it can cool.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the butter as it melts and starts to foam, and continue to whisk as the butter starts to form brown bits on the bottom of the pan, and the liquid is lightly golden.

Pour the butter into a bowl (make sure to scrape everything from the pan) and add sage leaves and garlic. Set aside to let the flavors infuse. You can do this step while the squash is cooking to give the flavors more time to meld, if you like.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the flesh into strands. If you want to serve the squash in the skins, make sure to not rip the skins or puncture holes in them. Scoop the squash into a bowl. 

Remove the sage leaves from the butter and discard, then pour the butter and garlic over the squash in the bowl. Add the chopped sage leaves, hazelnuts, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss with tongs to evenly coat the squash. 

Serve piled back into the squash skins, or in a bowl, garnished with extra sage and hazelnuts.

A fork lifting strands of cooked spaghetti squash from a halved squash on a plate, garnished with herbs and small pieces of nuts.

Recipe tips

If needed, you can re-warm the squash in the oven for 5-10 minutes before serving. Cover with foil to prevent burning.

You can add freshly grated parmesan cheese to this dish as well, or a pinch of ground cayenne for heat. Don’t use too much; you don’t want to overpower the sage butter.

Don’t like hazelnuts or don’t have them on hand? You can swap in cashews or walnuts. Toast them briefly in a dry pan to bring out their flavor.

In a hurry? Learn how to cook spaghetti squash in the microwave and have this dish ready in a flash!

For other winter squash recipes, try stuffed delicata squash or easy brown sugar roasted acorn squash.

Two halves of cooked spaghetti squash topped with herbs and nuts are served in a white dish with a silver fork.

This roasted spaghetti squash recipe is great for the Thanksgiving table, but it’s easy enough for weeknights too. Give it a try!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below!
It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.

Two baked spaghetti squash halves topped with shredded cheese, herbs, and chopped nuts, served in a round dish on a white surface with a fork and orange napkin nearby.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Easy roasted spaghetti squash is tossed in a fragrant sage brown butter and topped with hazelnuts for a delicious fall side dish.4
Author : Megan Myers
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients
  

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil for easy cleanup.
  • Using a large, sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and inner membrane. Rub olive oil on cut sides of squash, then place cut-side down on the baking sheet.
    2 to 3 pounds spaghetti squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Roast for 30-45 minutes, until tender (exact time will depend on size of your squash). Flip over to let cool.
  • While the squash is cooking, make the brown butter. Cut butter into pieces and add to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk as the butter melts and begins to foam, then continue whisking until brown specks start to form at the bottom and butter turns golden.
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Remove butter from heat and pour into a bowl. Stir in the sage and garlic and set aside to let the flavors infuse.
    5 whole sage leaves, 1 clove garlic
  • When the squash is easy to handle, use a fork to scrape into strands. Scoop into a bowl.
  • Discard sage leaves from the butter and pour butter and garlic over the squash in the bowl. Add chopped sage, hazelnuts, salt, and pepper, and use tongs to toss together.
    1 to 2 teaspoons chopped sage, 1/4 cup hazelnuts, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, Ground black pepper
  • Serve in a bowl or pile back into the squash skins, and garnish with extra sage and hazelnuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 230 kcalCarbohydrates: 13 gProtein: 2 gFat: 20 gSaturated Fat: 8 gCholesterol: 30 mgSodium: 320 mgPotassium: 234 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 5 gIron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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About Megan

I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, Iโ€™m here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.ย Read moreโ€ฆ

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