So this is a little ditty that came to me at like 3:30 am as I lay awake in bed trying to fall back asleep haha. I experimented with it once and (not to toot my own horn or anything but) NAILED it that first round… which is rare if we’re being honest here. If you are on a low carb diet then this will be your new best friend… If you’re looking for a new unique breakfast then this will knock your socks off… and if you have a half of a cooked spaghetti squash leftover then this is the best home for it. Honestly, it might be on my top 10 of things I have ever made. Hope you enjoy these spaghetti squash nests, with gruyere cheese, chives, crispy prosciutto, and a baked egg. Oh, one more thing! If you’re making this for breakfast you can make it all the day before and assemble in the morning!

 
You will need (makes 2 nests- use whole squash and double the recipe for 4):
1/2 of a medium-sized cooked spaghetti squash (can be made days in advance and refrigerated- instructions to follow)
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
3 Tbs chopped fresh chives (and extra for garnish)
3 slices of prosciutto (crisped and crumbled; instructions to follow)
2 eggs
splash of milk/half and half/cream (can sub in 1% or 2% milk if you’d like)
less than 1 tsp of lemon zest (*optional)
black pepper
 

The great thing is that you can cook the spaghetti squash way ahead of time (I made mine early the morning before, which is why I’m wearing my favorite robe from the ACE hotel in NY in the picture haha)

SO get your oven preheated to 375 F. Cut your spaghetti squash in half length-wise. I recently developed a more safe way of doing so by inserting my knife into the squash and driving it downward by hitting the knife with a wooden spoon. If you’re super muscly and can do it all by hand, by all means do it!


Scrape out the seeds and discard (I use an ice cream scoop) Fill the cavity with olive oil and use a pastry brush (or your fingers) to spread the oil to cover the flesh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place face down on a baking dish. Allow steam to escape by cutting slits in the back of the squash.


Bake for about 45 minutes or until tender (I take tongs and squeeze the squash… if it bends easily in your tongs then you’re all good). Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Once cool enough to handle, drag your fork through the flesh until strands form and you’ve loosened all of the flesh from the squash walls. Reserve until ready to bake. You can reserve for days in advance and store in the fridge.


For the prosciutto- I place three slices on the same pan I cooked the spaghetti squash on, no need to wash it. I cook at 375 (same as the squash) until crispy and brown. Let cool, crumble with your fingers, and save for the end of the process.


Place half of your entire spaghetti squash in a bowl; add your gruyere cheese, chives, and a bit of pepper. Stir gently to combine. At this point you can head to the fridge if you are making ahead of time and do the rest tomorrow am!


Place half of your mixture in your first greased, oven-safe dish ware and make a little well with your fingers for the egg to sit in. Repeat for your second. Sprinkle a bit of lemon zest over your squash (*optional).


Crack an egg over each well (or in a separate bowl in case of shells, and pour into the well).

Pour a splash of half and half (or whatever milk product you choose) over your egg.


Bake at 375 for about 30-40 min or until your eggs are set.


Remove from oven, top with your crispy prosciutto, a little pepper, and a few chives…. AND DIG THE HECK IN!!!

[yumprint-recipe id=’17’]