Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Skillet is a healthy, low-carb weeknight dinner that’s ready in 45 minutes. Made with roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic, it is super simple, keto-friendly and amazingly delicious!
Wondering what to do with a spaghetti squash? If you are looking for a new idea that’s NOT spaghetti squash boats with meat sauce and gooey, melty cheese on top, I have you covered with this super easy throw together meal that is full of amazing flavors, like goat cheese and bacon.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love spaghetti squash lasagna or taco boats double baked in the oven but this recipe is MUCH simpler and just a little bit different. You will love the classic spinach + goat cheese combo but truth be told, bacon is the real star in this skillet dinner. Crispy and smoky, it adds a wonderful flavor to this easy weeknight dinner.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Spaghetti squash: is the best low-carb veggie pasta equivalent that works in all kinds of pasta dishes and tastes great. Pick one that’s under 4 pounds.
Baby spinach: 10 ounces is quite a lot of spinach but once you cook it, it will wilt down considerably. You can also use regular spinach instead of baby spinach.
Cherry tomatoes: when roasted with some olive oil, they turn into juicy, tender jewels.
Bacon: pick good quality bacon free of nitrates and sugar, if possible.
Goat cheese: a chevre log or crumbled goat cheese will both work.
HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BACON, SPINACH & GOAT CHEESE
Step 1: Bake the squash. The easiest way to turn spaghetti squash into spaghetti-like tender strands is to cut it in half, remove the seeds with a large scoop or an ice-cream scoop. Brush the flesh with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, flip skin side up, poke with a fork and roast for about 40 minutes. Then let it cool slightly and scoop the flesh out using a fork.
Step 2: Roast the tomatoes. Toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Just add them to the same oven the squash is baking in at the 20-minute mark.
Step 3: Cook the bacon. While the squash and tomatoes are roasting, chop the bacon slices and cook, stirring from time to time until crispy. Remove bacon bits from the skillet with a slotted spoon and discard all but one tablespoon of rendered bacon fat.
Step 4: Wilt the spinach. Add the spinach with crushed garlic to the skillet, pop a lid on and let it wilt.
Step 5: Assemble. Add spaghetti squash strands to wilted spinach, stir around and add roasted tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese and bacon bits. Serve hot.
STORING, MEAL PREP & REHEATING TIPS
This skillet dish is perfect for meal prep. Just divide it into airtight containers and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, pop it in the microwave for a minute or two.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND SPECIAL DIETS
This dish is highly versatile and can be adjusted to your preferences and special diets. If you want to use less bacon or add more spinach, go ahead. The amounts in the recipe are just a suggestion and you can easily make this meal your own by swapping or adding your favorite veggies and protein options.
- Instead of goat cheese you can also use feta cheese. Both work beautifully in this skillet dinner!
- To make it vegetarian, skip the bacon and add more spinach!
- For a paleo/Whole30 version, skip the cheese. You can also add more protein, such as grilled chopped up chicken or cooked chicken or pork sausage.
If you try this Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Skillet recipe, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!
No time to make it now? Just pin it now and save the recipe for later!
Looking for other easy and quick dinner ideas? Try these:
- Creamy Veggie Chickpea Pasta Feta Bake
- Chicken Caprese Sheet Pan Dinner
- Creamy Kale, Sausage & Tomato Soup
- Sausage, Veggie and Apple Sheet Pan Dinner
Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Goat Cheese & Spinach Skillet
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Skillet is a healthy, low-carb weeknight dinner that’s ready in under 45 minutes. Made with roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic, it is super simple, keto-friendly and amazingly delicious!
Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash
10 oz baby spinach
1 pint cherry tomatoes
5 oz goat cheese
10 oz bacon
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bake the squash. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the pits and discard. Brush the squash with half of the olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet, skin side up. the skin with a fork a couple times. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Take the squash out of the oven, let cool slightly and take the flesh out fluffing it with a fork. Set aside.
- While the squash is baking, place the cherry tomatoes on another baking tray. Drizzle the cherry tomatoes with remaining oil and mix or shake to coat. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes in 400F.
- Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in a large skillet stirring occasionally until crispy. Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon bits and set aside. Discard bacon fat leaving about 1 tbsp in the now empty skillet.
- Place the spinach in the skillet, top with crushed garlic, cover and cook on low heat for a couple minutes until wilted. Uncover, cook for another minute stirring.
- Add spaghetti squash, roasted cherry tomatoes and bacon bits. Crumble goat cheese into the mixture and stir everything gently.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
Pick a spaghetti squash under 4 pounds for this dish. If it’s smaller, it may take less than 40 minutes to cook. To check if it’s done, open the oven and press the skin with a spoon. If it gives, it’s ready.
- Category: dinner, lunch
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: goat cheese, spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash with goat cheese, bacon
The normally horrible goat cheese was not so horrible in this recipe. Well done!
★★★★★
Thank you Alex, that means a lot ;-)!
I prospectively rated this 5 stars and cannot wait to try this!
★★★★★
Hope you like it!
To get long strands of spaghetti squash that are delicious and not mushy, cut the squash into rings and roast it at 400°F for 40 minutes.
★★★★★
Thanks for the tip, Teca!
The recipe does not say how many grape tomatoes or what temp to cook them at
Hi Lynn. Thanks for catching that! You’ll need a pint of cherry tomatoes and the temperature is the same as for the squash – 400 degrees Fahrenheit.