Creamy Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash Boats

Garlicky, herb-filled, massively tasty spaghetti squash boats are a great thing to serve this time of year, when there are more squash hanging around than you can shake a stick at. The trick with my recipe here, is to use a creamy sauce that’s on the thinner side. This gives the mixture a chance to really sink and seep down into the strands of spaghetti squash, flavoring it all the way through. A shingling of provolone cheese across the tops of each boat creates a deeply browned, crunchy crust. To die for.

What you’ll need to make these cacio e pepe spaghetti squash boats.

This recipe can feed four people technically, but really it’s more fun when everyone gets their own “boat.” So, simply double the ingredients here if you plan to serve four (or more).

A word on the cheeses

You can also play around with the types of cheese you’re using here, absolutely. Mozzarella would – of course – be very welcome at this party, what with its stellar melting abilities and casually, subtly flexible flavor (what does it not go well with, I mean honestly).

You also don’t have to use actual slices of provolone either. Grated works great, I just really love how the full-on slices create a sealed blanket of cheese that gets VERY browned as it bakes. First, the slices sort of melt away, falling down into the squash. But when you take that foil off for the final baking, they break free from the pack (and by pack, I mean squash) and really shine. It’s delicious by all accounts, this arrangement of cheeses we’re using.

Other cheese you may want to try include (but are not limited to):

Scamorza: a pulled cow’s milk Italian cheese that is tough-ish to find but if you can – get it! It is chewier than mozzarella and drier as well.

Smoked mozzarella: a good substitute for scamorza.

Ricotta: this creamy cheese would make for a nice addition to the cream sauce here.

Gorgonzola: This punchy blue cheese has so much flavor, it will sort of steal the show, but in a delicious way for sure. If you dig blue cheeses, then a sprinkling of this stuff will make you very happy.

INGREDIENTS

1 spaghetti squash

Salt and freshly ground/cracked pepper

Olive oil, as directed

4 ounces herb and garlic cheese spread (such as Boursin or Alouette)

½ cup milk

1 egg

½ cup freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning

6 slices provolone cheese

How to make these Creamy Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash Boats

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Place the whole squash directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes. Let it/them cool until easily handled, and then cut in half, lengthwise. 

Scoop out and discard the seeds (or save them for another use, if you like). Place the squash halves into a baking dish. Season the squash flesh generously with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. 

In a bowl, mix together the cheese spread, milk, egg, grated cheese, oregano/seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture between the squash halves, just pouring it into the cavities carefully to avoid spilling. Top with the provolone slices (I shingle them across the tops of the boats). NOTE: The mixture is pretty thin, which is intentional. This allows it to seep down into the squash, flavoring it more than a thick mixture could. 

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Toss the breadcrumbs with enough olive oil to fully coat, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the foil, top each boat with panko, and bake until very golden brown and bubbly; about 12 to 15 more minutes. If parts of the surface are browning too fast or faster than the rest, just lay a small piece(s) of foil right over them. This will slow that down, while the rest continues to brown. 

If you like the looks of these Creamy Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash Boats, you might also want to try:

Marinated Squash with Lemony Ricotta and Pistachios

Warm Squash and Radicchio Salad with Caramelized Dates

Garlicky Orange Chili Squash with Sage

Pulled BBQ Spaghetti Squash Sandwiches

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