Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut your spaghetti lengthwise and remove the seeds.
To make cutting easier, don’t hesitate to put your pumpkin in the microwave to soften it a little. Pierce the pumpkin a few times with a knife (to help it air out and not break) and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes. The knife slides more easily this way! Smaller pumpkins will need about 3 minutes, while larger ones will be fine after 4-5 minutes.
Then take a baking tray with lips or a baking plate with a rim.
Rub the cut side of the pumpkin with a little olive oil and place it on your baking sheet/slice tray facing down. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of the pumpkin, and larger pumpkins will need to roast a bit longer to soften. Once ready, the previously rock-hard exterior of the pumpkin will visibly soften with a tender interior.
The pumpkin can be roasted and stored in the refrigerator for a few days if you want to prepare a meal and plan a quicker dinner in advance.
While the pumpkin is roasting, start with the sauce.
In a medium saucepan or frying pan, put a dash of olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
Then add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the cream, the cream cheese (totally optional but totally tasty) and the Parmesan cheese and stir well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
Once the pumpkin is roasted, let it cool until it can be easily handled or place it in an oven mitt and use a fork to separate and fluff the pumpkin strands from the spaghetti.
Pour the sauce over each jar of pumpkin, stir to mix, and top with some mozzarella cheese and additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
For a golden cheese topping, turn oven to high heat for one to two minutes until lightly browned. Dive in while it is HOT!
Recipe Notes
Feel free to add chicken if you wish. Stir in the sauce and vegetarian noodles or serve on the side. Grilled, roasted, baked, poached, grilled… anything goes! Shrimp is also a tasty complement to pumpkin.
The recipe yields 4 servings (i.e. about 1/4 pumpkin per person) as a side dish or can be divided into 2 servings (half pumpkin per person) as a main dish, especially if you add additional protein and/or vegetables!