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Rach just made this easy dish twice in one week because her family loves it so much. She calls it a mashup of garlic and oil (aglio e olio) spaghetti and a gratin, with the squash strands as a gluten-free swap for pasta. You can also serve the squash with a meat or meat-substitute sauce, pesto, or whatever else you like. It's great as a side dish, but Rach likes it as a meal in itself. "It's gratifying, sweet and cheesy," she says, "and I have nothing more to say about that!"
Looking for more spaghetti squash ideas? Try Bobby Flay's Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi or Daphne Oz's Lightened-Up Cacio e Pepe with Spaghetti Squash.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil, then parchment.
Halve the spaghetti squash across, trimming the top vine and shaving the bottom a bit. Scoop out the seeds. The squash strings grow sideways so the "spaghetti" effect will appear longer when it roasts this way. Halving the squash lengthwise, however, is more impressive on a dinner platter as the surface area is double the size; the squash is equally delicious, of course, just shorter stands of "spaghetti" in appearance. Spray the squash lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast about 40 to 45 minutes, cut-side down.
Heat EVOO, about ½ cup, over low and swirl garlic in the oil with chili paste or flakes, 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Shred squash with a fork and toss with one-fourth of the garlic oil, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and ¼ cup grated parm in each squash. Top with shredded mozzarella and bake 3 to 5 minutes to bubble and brown the mozz. Top with thyme and serve half a squash per person.