Creamy Garlic, Broccoli, and Mushroom Spaghetti Squash
A creamy garlic sauce coating a blend of broccoli, mushrooms, and spaghetti squash makes this Creamy Garlic, Broccoli, and Mushroom Spaghetti Squash a versatile side dish or a terrific vegetarian main course.
1.25poundsGround Italian SausageCooked. This is 1 package of the large links with casings removed. You can also use turkey or chicken Italian sausage if you prefer.
2 - 3tablespoonsAvocado Oil or Olive Oil
4cupsBroccoli FloretsCut into bite-size pieces
2cupsBaby Bella MushroomsSliced. White button mushrooms will work too.
2tablespoonsGarlicMinced
2cupsHeavy Cream
1teaspoonKosher Saltplus more to taste
1teaspoonGround Black Pepperplus more to taste
½cupWaterPlus more if needed.
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Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and cover a small baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Use a sharp knife to puncture each “side” of the 1 large Spaghetti Squash. I usually do about 8 - 12 stabs in total. Once the oven is heated, place the squash on the covered baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn it over, and bake for 20 minutes more. Let it set until it’s cool enough to handle while you work on the rest.
1 large Spaghetti Squash
Crumble and cook your 1.25 pounds Ground Italian Sausage, set aside. Leave the drippings in the pan.
1.25 pounds Ground Italian Sausage
In the same pan, heat 2 - 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil or Olive Oil. Add your 4 cups Broccoli Florets and 2 cups Baby Bella Mushrooms. Add 1/2 cup Water. Cook until broccoli is tender and mushrooms have released their juices. Add more water while cooking if the veggies start to look too dry. Once done, remove from the heat and transfer the broccoli and mushrooms to a large mixing bowl. (I like to use the biggest one I’ve got to give me plenty of room for mixing.)
2 - 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil or Olive Oil, 4 cups Broccoli Florets, 2 cups Baby Bella Mushrooms, 1/2 cup Water
Once the spaghetti squash has cooled enough to handle, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and then shred it with a fork. Add the shredded squash to your mixing bowl of broccoli and mushrooms. Stir to combine.
With the heat on medium high, pour your 2 cups Heavy Cream into the pan and add your 2 tablespoons Garlic, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, and 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper. Heat it until it begins to bubble, stirring frequently so that the cream doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan. About 7 - 8 minutes. You’ll want to pay attention through this part, because burnt cream is not a good flavor. You can do this on medium heat too, but it will just take a bit longer. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
2 tablespoons Garlic, 2 cups Heavy Cream, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Pour the garlic cream sauce into the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour the entire mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. If you are making this in advance, you can pause at this point, let it cool, and store it covered in the fridge over night.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes if you are not taking this out of the fridge and 45 - 50 minutes if you are.
1 Half Sheet Aluminum Foil Baking Tray OR 1 9x13” Casserole Dish. A Half Sheet Aluminum Foil Baking Tray is deeper than a regular 9x13” Casserole Dish. This is a pretty large volume of ingredients and having this overflow into your oven would be a mess, so it is reasonable to use two 9” x 13” casserole dishes instead. When I am making anything like this, I’m usually going to use one of the half-size disposable aluminum steam table pans. They are deeper, and I generally find them easy to work with when I’m feeding a large group. I buy the aluminum lids to go along with them, so I have no issues with stacking several in my fridge or electric cooler. Plus, I am a fan of easy clean up; so dishes that can either be recovered and put back in the fridge or thrown away if they’re empty work well for me.
Notes
Additional Advanced Prep
You can roast, seed, and shred the spaghetti squash one or two days in advance. I usually just put the shredded squash in a zip top bag or an airtight container in the fridge.
I also often chop the mushrooms and broccoli one or two days in advance as my time budget allows.