Keto Spaghetti Squash Aglio OIio with Olive Oil, Garlic and Parmesan

Aglio Olio is a dish from Naples, Italy that means “olive oil and garlic”. It’s always been one of my favorite recipes, even before I started on my keto journey. As a kid, my Italian grandmother would often serve up a bowl of pasta and butter, and as I got older, I’d see Aglio Olio on menus and would order it because it reminded me of those simple childhood meals—as a garlic lover, this dish is basically the adult healthy version! Does it taste exactly the same? I guess that depends if you think spaghetti squash tastes like pasta (I’d say no) but the flavors are the same, and the spaghetti squash brings a whole new element.

Pronounced “ah lee oh, oh lee oh”, making keto Aglio Olio, it can be as simple as you want it to be, but one thing that you can’t cheat on is fresh ingredients, especially the garlic.  The thing about garlic is that as soon as you cut it, it begins to deteriorate, and the flavors just start waving goodbye, heading down the road to flavorless town.  That’s why getting pre-minced garlic just isn’t the same as mincing fresh. But I, like most people, don’t mince garlic every time, I’ve got my jarred garlic too which is great for different recipes. Not this one.

Same goes for the parmesan cheese, get the fresh grated (powdered) stuff. The green can, again, good for a pinch, but if you want it to melt a bit like it should in this recipe, you need the real stuff. Freshly ground pepper as well – if you don’t have a peppermill yet, it will change your life. It doesn’t have to be fancy, any peppermill will work.

Trust me, you’ll thank me later. It’s a simple recipe, but the difference between fresh ingredients and not-so-fresh is like the difference between going to Italy and ordering Papa Johns. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Keto Spaghetti Squash Aglio OIio Recipe

Servings: 4 – 1 cup servings

Prep Time: 1 hour minutes| Cook Time: 10 minutes| Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Nutritional Facts: 7g Net Carbs  |  241 Calories |  23g Fat | 9g Carbs |  3g Protein | 2g Fiber 

Ingredients:

• 1 10” – 12” spaghetti squash (about 4 cups cooked squash)
• 3 whole cloves garlic (about 1 heaping tbsp sliced)
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground peppercorn
• Optional garnish: red pepper flakes for a bit of kick
• Optional garnish: parsley, because it’s pretty

Steps:

1. To make the keto spaghetti squash aglio olio, preheat oven to 350 degrees, then slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down , and poke some holes in the skin with a fork. Cook in the oven for 45 to 1 hr or until “spaghetti” is very easily removed easily from squash.
   
2. In the meantime, finely slice your garlic (a mandolin is great but I just slice it like this).  Set aside. It should make about a heaping tablespoon of garlic.
3. When the spaghetti squash is ready, remove “spaghetti” and set it aside, then discard the shell.
4. In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and bring to temp. When a drop of water will make it sizzle, it’s ready. Add garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds (don’t let it burn). I suggest adding a piece at first to make sure it’s not too hot and doesn’t burn instantly, as cooktops—especially gas ranges—do vary.
5. Add the meat of your spaghetti squash and toss. Add remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss again. Add parmesan and toss, then serve. Enjoy!
   

Keto Spaghetti Squash Aglio OIio

Print Recipe

5 from 6 reviews

Aglio Olio is a dish from Naples, Italy that means “olive oil and garlic”. It’s always been one of my favorite recipes, even before I started on my keto journey. As a kid, my Italian grandmother would often serve up a bowl of pasta and butter, and as I got older, I’d see Aglio Olio on menus and would order it because it reminded me of those simple childhood meals—as a garlic lover, this dish is basically the adult version!

• Author: Amanda C. Hughes
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 - 1 cup servings 1x
• Category: Sides

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 10” – 12” spaghetti squash (about 4 cups cooked squash)
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground peppercorn
• Optional garnish: red pepper flakes for a bit of kick
• Optional garnish: parsley, because it’s pretty

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. To make the keto spaghetti squash aglio olio, preheat oven to 350 degrees, then slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down , and poke some holes in the skin with a fork. Cook in the oven for 45 to 1 hr or until “spaghetti” is removed easily from squash.
2. In the meantime, finely slice your garlic (a mandolin is great but I just slice it like this).  Set aside. It should make about a heaping tablespoon of garlic.
3. When the spaghetti squash is ready, remove “spaghetti” and set it aside, then discard the shell.
4. In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and bring to temp. When a drop of water will make it sizzle, it’s ready. Add garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds (don’t let it burn). I suggest adding a piece at first to make sure it’s not too hot and doesn’t burn instantly, as cooktops—especially gas ranges—do vary.
5. Add the meat of your spaghetti squash and toss. Add remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss again. Add parmesan and toss, then serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 241
• Fat: 23g
• Carbohydrates: 9g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 3g

If you love spaghetti squash then be sure to check out my post Wicked Good Spaghetti Squash Recipes next.