Creamed Elote with Spaghetti Squash

5

17

Jump to RecipePrint

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase.

Creamed Elotรฉ with Spaghetti Squash in a bowl topped with radishes and cilantro.

Hi hello hi.

Iโ€™m currently flying in the air, bouncing above the clouds headed to Nashville from New York. I was in New York for like a minute for some book meetings!! (The release is only 2 weeks away!!).

Flying while being on the internet has alway felt like magic to me. I canโ€™t be the only one. When I think about it really hard Iโ€™m like, WHO MAKES THE INTERNET WORK?! What does it look like in physical form. How does it even work. Maybe this sounds dumb (probably does) but as a non-engineer it all feels like it just exists in the ether and happens on its own. (Iโ€™m not stoned, I swear.)

Creamed Elote with Spaghetti Squash

Cooked spaghetti squash on a sheet pan with a fork.

Now, about this bowl of creamed elote with spaghetti squash. This is proof that seasons can play wonderfully together to create something warm and cozy. Corn is still around, itโ€™s at the stores and at the farmerโ€™s markets, but not for long. And squash seems to be popping up (!!!) and out of all the squash varieties, spaghetti squash is one of the first to appear.

Corn in a pot.
Overhead view of corn in a pot with cream.

Corn and spaghetti squash in a pot.

This recipe was inspired by something I had years ago at Baco Mercat. It was a bowl of creamed corn and summer squash (I think). I put the Mexican street corn twist on it because thatโ€™s maybe my favorite way to enjoy corn out of all the preparations in this entire world.

Creamed elote with spaghetti squash is pretty easy to throw together and I think itโ€™s something I would definitely serve with like a roast chicken and a salad or a piece of fish. Or maybe even this and just a salad could work?

Itโ€™s simple and easy and the perfect thing to make while we take a big deep breath until the next couple of months begin. Theyโ€™re gonna be busy.

Creamed Elotรฉ with Spaghetti Squash in a bowl with toppings.

5 from 1 vote

Creamed Elotรฉ with Spaghetti Squash

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 spaghetti squash
  • 3 ears of corn, husks and silk removed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Salt
  • Ancho chile pepper, divided
  • 1 ounce crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco, divided
  • Handful of cilantro, for garnish
  • 1 radish, thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place the spaghetti squash half flesh side down. Transfer to the oven to bake until tender, about 35 minutes. Set aside until itโ€™s cool enough to handle. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp. Using a fork, scrape the squash–it’ll resemble spaghetti! Set aside.
  • To remove the kernels off the cob, I like to flip over a small bowl and set it inside a medium sized bowl. I rest the kernels on the small bowl and slice downward to remove the kernels. They usually fall right into the medium bowl, making it a less messy situation than using a cutting board.
  • In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the shallot and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Mix in the minced garlic, corn kernels, 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and cook until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Pour in the cream and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. It should thicken up. Give it a taste and add a bit of salt to taste. (I ended up adding about 1/4 teaspoon more.) Fold in the reserved spaghetti squash, small handful of cotija or queso fresco and pinch of ground ancho chile pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with a sprinkling of ancho chile pepper, a handful of crumbled cotija or queso fresco, a few cilantro leaves and sliced radishes.

Notes

Note: A lot of people love adding a liberal pinch of sugar to their creamed corn. The corn I get is usually pretty sweet and I never think itโ€™s necessary, but by all means, give it a taste at the end and decide for yourself! Just keep in mind you can always add more, but can never take away!

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 914IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!
Creamed Elotรฉ with Spaghetti Squash and toppings in a bowl surrounded by glasses of beer and limes.

Cozy Latin-Inspired Comfort Food Recipes

Hi! I'm Adrianna and this is my cozy space on the internet that is super-charged by butter, flour and copious amounts of pasta. Stay awhile, will you!

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a rating!




17 Comments

  1. yeah, I still don’t even know how we can be on the internet and flying but I don’t hate it! also, this dish makes me instantly warm! love it!

  2. Dude, I literally have the same thoughts about internet magic every time I fly (although I now feel cheated on flights that don’t offer it…). Happy travels and can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this book of yours!

    1. I’m the same way! Such an internet in-flight snob now. Also, I loooove Jet Blue because it’s free and they have super fast internet.

  3. What a great summer-to-fall transition dish! I love corn and spaghetti squash. The flavors in this dish sound like they pair perfectly together. A recipe I want to try! Thanks for sharing. xo

  4. This dish looks delicious. I have never had something like this, such an interesting combination, I would never think about it. I have to add this to my repertoire, it is a nice new way to prepare corn.

  5. What a brilliant idea! Corn and squash are such a natural pairing, love the use of spaghetti squash as a base to show off the elote.

  6. This looks so delicious, love the mix of unexpected things! Technology is so amazing, isn’t it? We live in a very exciting time!

  7. This is a really neat idea! Love the spaghetti squash and corn mixture. Best of luck over the next two weeks!! Things are about to get exciting!