Lemony Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash
GUYS! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you. Unless you live under a rock, you know Chrissy is the queen of delicious, indulgent eats.
Her cookbook is by far one of my fave cookbooks I’ve ever owned. I’ve practically cooked through the entire thing!
This lemony cacio e pepe spaghetti squash recipe is a low carb version of Chrissy Teigen’s lemony arugula cacio e pepe from her Cravings cookbook.
Think super lemony, garlicky, cheesy, peppery pasta but instead of spaghetti, we’re using spaghetti squash. Can’t get any better than that!
Honestly, the only real time consuming part of this recipe is the actual roasting of the spaghetti squash. But that’s pretty hands off and once that’s done, the rest of the recipe comes together fairly quickly. Here’s what I did.
When you’re done with this recipe, make my Easy 4-Ingredient Cacio e Pepe Recipe!
Recommended For This Recipe
Roasting Pan
I highly recommend this nonstick roasting pan! It features a removable chrome-plated rack that raises meats up to allow fats to drip away.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Ok so this will be the part that takes the longest in this recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the spaghetti squash halves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place cut side down in a roasting pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Once the spaghetti squash has cooled, scrape around the edges of the squash using a fork to shred your “spaghetti”.
You can make the spaghetti squash 1 day ahead and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Once the spaghetti squash is done, the rest is pretty straight forward. You cook the pancetta for a few minutes on a hot skillet until crisp then add garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cook for about 1 minute.
Add the lemon juice and the spaghetti squash. Gently mix with everything else then add the Parm and arugula. Ta-daaa!
This lemony cacio e pepe spaghetti squash recipe is perfect for meal prep as you’ll have 4-6 servings depending on the size of the squash. If it looks messy when you’re done, then you’ve done a great job. ;)
Omg, PLEASE make this soon! It’s SO GOOD.
Lemony Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, chopped (3/4 cup)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 3 cups baby arugula
Instructions
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the spaghetti squash halves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place cut side down in a roasting pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Once the spaghetti squash has cooled, scrape around the edges of the squash using a fork to shred your "spaghetti". Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Make the Spaghetti Squash Cacio e Pepe
- In a skillet, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisped, 7-9 minutes. Add the rest of the olive oil, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the lemon juice to the skillet then toss in the spaghetti squash. Add the Parm and the arugula. Toss until it wilts, about 1 minute. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with more Parm (or even more lemon, if you’re into that sorta thing). Enjoy!
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