Southwest Spaghetti Squash Side Dish

Spaghetti squash side dish in a gray bowl.

5 from 2 votes

Southwest Spaghetti Squash Side Dish

You can never have too many spaghetti squash side dish recipes! Less than 10minutes of active prep needed. This southwest version gets its flavor from smoky chipotle peppers and salty queso fresco.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Cooling Time5

Total Time27

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: Low Carb, spaghetti squash side dish

Servings: Servings

Calories: 111kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) spaghetti squash
1 chipotle pepper seeded & minced (See Note 1)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup crumbled queso fresco (See Note 2)
3 tablespoons minced cilantro
½ teaspoon kosher salt (See Note 3)
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

Using a large, sharp knife, pierce the spaghetti squash in several places.
Place the spaghetti squash in a glass baking dish and cook in the microwave on high for 12 to 15 minutes (depending on the wattage of your microwave), turning the squash halfway through cooking. The skin should just have a bit of “give” when pressed. If it is collapsing inwards significantly, the squash is likely overcooked.
Before handling, let the squash stand for 10 minutes. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Using a fork, twist out strands of the spaghetti squash flesh and place in a large bowl.
Place the chopped chipotle peppers in a small bowl and whisk in olive oil. Pour the olive oil mixture into the spaghetti squash and toss until combined.
Add queso fresco cheese, cilantro, salt, and pepper to the spaghetti squash and toss again. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Blue - Freestyle SP) / 2 (Green) / 3 (Purple)

Note 1: Chipotle peppers are sold in cans in adobo sauce and are typically found in the international aisle. For this recipe, you won’t need the adobo sauce.

Note 2: Queso fresco has a very mild flavor, but this dish is very versatile so a bolder cheese would work, too. Try cotija, feta or ricotta cheeses.

Note 3: I used Diamond kosher salt when testing this recipe. If using Morton kosher salt, use slightly less than ½ teaspoon. Adjust according to your taste.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the Sparks nutrition calculator and Weight Watchers points are calculated using the Recipe Builder on their site. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition