Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale

Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale is delicious for a cheesy low-carb side dish and it’s also a perfect meatless main dish. And this spaghetti squash recipe has three types of cheese to bump up the flavor!

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My brother Mark and his wife Lisa have an enormous garden, and one year they had 49 spaghetti squash! When I heard that it made me realize I have some good ideas for Spaghetti Squash on the blog, partly from the days when I used to grow it every year in my own garden.

And I really love this recipe for cheesy Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale that I came up with when my local store had organic kale on sale, and if you’re a fan of both spaghetti squash and kale and I’m featuring it for my Friday Favorites pick this week to entice you try it! The generous amount of kale used here makes this feel like a more substantial dish than just regular baked spaghetti squash.

And if you’re like me, all I have to hear is kale and Feta; I’m such a fan of that combination. Whether you eat this as a low-carb side dish or make it to serve for a meatless main dish, I promise that anyone who likes these ingredients is going to love this combination.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• large spaghetti squash (at least 4 pounds)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• Spike Seasoning (affiliate link)g or other all-purpose seasoning blend
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• onion
• chopped kale
• crumbled Feta
• grated Mozzarella cheese
• cottage cheese
• Dried Thyme (affiliate link)

What if you don’t like Kale?

Just combine the spaghetti squash with another type of leafy greens like chard, collards, or spinach if you’re not a fan of kale. Most of those (especially spinach) will need a slightly shorter time when you’re wilting the greens.

What cheeses can you use for this Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash?

You can use most any variety of white cheese that melts well to combine with the spaghetti squash and kale for this recipe.

Want more cheesy Spaghetti Squash Recipes?

Check out Cheesy Low-Carb Spaghetti Squash Recipes for more more tasty ideas with spaghetti squash + cheese! Or you can use Spaghetti Squash Recipes to see all the fun ideas for spaghetti squash on my site.

How to make Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Roasting is still my favorite way to cook spaghetti squash for a recipe like this; just cut squash in half, scrape out the seeds, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), and cook about an hour. 
2. You can also cook spaghetti squash in an Instant Pot or a slow cooker or cook it in the microwave if you prefer.
3. While the squash cooks, cook the onions until they’re barely getting brown and place onions in a bowl.
4. Heat more oil, add chopped kale, and cook until it’s barely wilted
5. Mix together crumbled Feta, part of grated Mozzarella, cottage cheese, and thyme.
6. When spaghetti squash is done, scrape out the “spaghetti” part and discard the skins.
7. In the large pan where you cooked the kale, gently stir together the spaghetti squash, kale, and onions. Then mix in the cottage cheese/cheese mixture until.
8. Put the mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with the rest of the Mozzarella, and bake at 400F/200C about 30 minutes, or until it’s bubbling and nicely browned on top.
9. Serve hot and enjoy!

More Tasty Spaghetti Squash Recipes:

• Spaghetti Squash with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter
• Pesto Spaghetti Squash
• Greek Salad Spaghetti Squash Bowl

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 8 side-dish servings

Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

There are three types of cheese in this tasty Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale, and this is delicious for a low-carb side dish or a meatless main dish.

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash (at least 4 pounds)
• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (see notes)
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped small
• 1 large bunch of kale, ribs cut away and discarded and kale leaves chopped
• 1 cup crumbled Feta
• 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella (or more)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Cut spaghetti squash in half, scrape out seeds and stringy parts, and place squash on a baking sheet.
2. Brush each squash half with about 1 tsp. olive oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), and season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
3. Roast the squash about 50-60 minutes, or until it strings apart easily with a fork.  (You can also cook the spaghetti squash in an Instant Pot or a slow cooker or cook it in the microwave, and then season after it’s cooked if you prefer.)
4. While the squash cooks, chop the onion and cut up the kale.  (Fold lengthwise and cut away the rib part, then coarsely chop the kale leaves.)  If needed, wash the kale leaves in a Salad Spinner (affiliate link), then spin dry.  (If you use cold water, this will also crisp the kale if it’s getting limp.)
5. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large non-stick pan with high sides; add the onion and cook until it’s nicely browned.
6. Remove onion to a bowl, add 2 tsp. more olive oil and when it’s hot add the kale all at once and cook, turning over repeatedly, until all the kale is wilted and starting to soften, about 1-2 minutes.  (I like the kale with a little chewiness to it; cook a few minutes longer if you prefer it more well done.)
7. Mix together the crumbled Feta, 1/2 cup of the grated Mozzarella, the cottage cheese, and thyme.
8. As soon as it’s done enough to string apart easily, remove the spaghetti squash from the oven, let it cool enough to handle, and then scrape out the spaghetti strings, discarding the skin.
9. Put onions back into the pan with the wilted kale, add the spaghetti strands, and gently combine. Then add the cottage cheese mixture and stir until all ingredients are combined.
10. Spray a rectangular casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. I used a 9" x 13" Casserole Dish (affiliate link), but any dish close to that size will work.)
11. Put the mixture in the casserole dish and spread around so it’s the same thickness everywhere; then top with the other 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella.
12. Bake about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and starting to brown on top.
13. Serve hot. This can be frozen and reheated in a microwave or toaster oven.  For best results, thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Notes

I'm a huge fan of Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), but use another all-purpose seasoning if you don’t have Spike.

Recipe created by Kalyn when she had spaghetti squash from the garden and kale was on sale.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 801mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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South Beach Diet / Low-Carb Diet Suggestions:
With full-fat cheeses, this recipe would be great for most Low-Carb eating plans, although maybe a bit high in carbs for strict Keto. If you’re making Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Kale for the original South Beach Diet, they would recommend using low-fat cheese and low-fat cottage cheese. With full-fat cheeses, this would be great for any type of Low-Carb eating plan.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes or Spaghetti Squash Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash recipe was first posted in 2015. It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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