Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters

September 2026 and October was close. I drove to Stilwell and picked up the beans from the woman there—four pounds of the bread beans, which she'd been harvesting and drying since July, and a quart of dried corn she'd processed fresh this year. She came out of the house when she saw my truck and brought out the bags herself, which is not her usual method; she usually has them on the porch. I thought she was coming to check on the person, not just complete the exchange.

We stood in her yard for twenty minutes talking about the beans—the specific variety she'd been maintaining, the lineage of it as best she knew, what she'd noticed about this year's harvest compared to last year's. She said the bean bread from her beans was being served at more events now than it used to be. She'd heard it mentioned at things she didn't attend but people had told her. She said she was glad.

I drove home with the beans in the back and the sense that the chain of custody on this particular food knowledge was more robust than it had been a few years ago. Not secure—nothing is ever fully secure—but stronger. More people knew. More hands were involved. That's what it needed to be.

The fall garden was in and running: turnips, kale, late broccoli, the last of the summer squash hanging on. I made a big roasted vegetable soup with everything available and brought some to Caleb and some to Hannah and Thomas and kept enough for the week. The soup was fall in a bowl—dense and sweet from the roasted turnips, the way October should taste.

The soup took most of what was ready in the garden that week, but the spaghetti squash I’d been watching all fall still needed its moment. Fritters felt right—something that honored the density and sweetness of a squash that had hung on through the whole season, and something portable enough to bring to people the way the soup had been. After an afternoon like the one in Stilwell, where the whole point was that food knowledge moves through hands, cooking felt less like a task and more like continuing that same chain.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs), halved and seeded
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, for brushing

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with olive oil and place face-down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 35–40 minutes until the flesh is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
Shred and dry. Let the squash cool for 10 minutes, then use a fork to pull the strands into a large bowl. Transfer the shredded squash to a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible—this step is important for fritters that hold together.
Mix the batter. Reduce oven to 375°F. Combine the dried squash with the eggs, flour, Parmesan, garlic, chives, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly mixed.
Form and bake. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly oil it. Scoop 1/4-cup portions of the mixture and flatten into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until both sides are golden and set.
Serve. Serve warm as-is or with a dollop of sour cream, plain yogurt, or a simple herb sauce. They keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat in a skillet or oven.

Nutrition (per serving)

Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters — The Last of the Garden, Turned Into Something Worth Keeping