I’m not the only person desperately wishing it was October, am I? Sorry to all you summer-lovers out there; I am so over this heat and humidity. Give me 65 degrees, grey clouds, and maybe a light misty rain and I am super happy. I think that’s why I enjoy fall and winter foods (aka comfort foods) the most, but rarely want to eat them in summer when it’s sweltering outside. Even with the Alfredo sauce, this recipe is much lighter than a traditional heavy pasta dish but still brings the same level of comfort, and is something I can enjoy all year round. If you follow me on Instagram you know my obsession with roasted broccoli is real (I eat it probably 2-3 nights a week every week) so I decided to come up with a new way to incorporate it into my weekly menu.
I began by gathering my ingredients and pre-heating the oven to 400°F.
I split the spaghetti squash open lengthwise, removed all the seeds, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, turned it over so it was cut-side down, and roasted it in the oven for 40 minutes. When it came out, I flipped each half over and let them cool for 15 minutes.
At the same time, I took a bag of frozen broccoli, put it on a foil-lined sheet I coated with non-stick spray, drizzled it with olive oil, and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I roasted the broccoli in the oven for 15 minutes, removed it to flip over each piece, and then roasted it another 15 minutes.
You could certainly use fresh broccoli, but I find frozen florets to be extremely easy to use (and inexpensive!).
To create the Alfredo sauce, I melted butter in a pot over medium-low heat and then added the heavy cream while whisking. After a few minutes I stirred in the grated Parmesan, chopped garlic, and a little salt and pepper and let it come to a simmer. I cooked it about 5 minutes while it thickened. If desired, you can add 1/2 of a teaspoon of xanthan gum for extra thickness.
Using a fork, I scraped the squash and created the noodles. I added the squash to a large mixing bowl along with the roasted broccoli. When the Alfredo sauce was finished, I poured it over the squash and broccoli and mixed everything together.
I spooned the spaghetti mixture into an 8×8 glass baking dish, topped it with some shredded mozzarella, and returned it to the oven for 10 minutes to melt the cheese and re-heat all of the individual components.
After 10 minutes I turned the broiler on high for about a minute to make the cheese golden on top. When this comes out of the oven it’s extremely tender and flavorful, and super cheesy. You could easily add some grilled or roasted chicken or even beef if you wanted to bulk up the meal a bit, but I don’t think you’ll miss it. It’s meals like this that make me grateful I can still enjoy pasta dishes without the expense of high-carb noodles.
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Carbs Per Serving:18g
Prep Time:5minutes
Passive Time:
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise, remove the seeds, drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, turn over so cut-side is face down, and roast for 40 minutes. Let it cool face up for 15 minutes.
- Simultaneously, spread broccoli on foil-lined baking sheet that was coated in non-stick spray. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the florets and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, flip pieces over, and roast another 15 minutes.
- In a pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add heavy cream and whisk. Stir in grated parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper and simmer about 5 minutes. If needed, add xanthan gum to thicken.
- Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash into “noodles” and add them to a large mixing bowl along with the broccoli and alfredo sauce; stir until combined.
- Spoon the squash mixture into an 8×8 glass baking dish, top with shredded mozzarella, and bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Recipe shared with permission by Alison Bruckner of Butter Is Not A Carb. Click here to view the original recipe and notes.
Nutrition Facts
Broccoli Alfredo Spaghetti
Amount Per Serving
Calories 651 Calories from Fat 531
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 59g 91%
Saturated Fat 30g 150%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 21g
Cholesterol 154mg 51%
Sodium 980mg 41%
Potassium 302mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 6g
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin A 37%
Vitamin C 45%
Calcium 43%
Iron 4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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