Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boat (Vegan option)

Recipe from Simply Quinoa

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

4 servings (Recipe can be halved.)

This is delicious comfort food for sure.  It’s loaded with fiber too.  First, the spaghetti squash is roasted. Then it’s filled with a flavorful mixture of red lentils, hummus, nutritional yeast and seasonings that is cooked on the stove while the squash is roasting. Top off the stuffed squash with cheese (vegan cheese, if you prefer) and give it a minute or two under the broiler.  Serve this with a crisp green salad for a complete meal. If you have difficulty cutting into a raw spaghetti squash, you can pierce the whole squash with the point of a sharp knife, then roast.  After it has roasted, it will be easier to cut in half.

2 small spaghetti squash
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

½ cup dry red lentils
½ cup hummus, flavor of choice

¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
½ to ¾ cup water*
2 cups shredded vegan cheese or mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise and put them face down in a baking dish. Add enough water to cover the squash by 1/4”. Roast squash for 20 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, add the remaining ingredients (minus the cheese) into a saucepan. Start with just ½ cup of water and add more as needed. Bring the pot to boil, then reduce and simmer until thickened and lentils are tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Once squash is done roasting, remove from oven, flip over and scoop out the seeds. Fill each squash half with about 1 cup of sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Place the squash back into the oven and turn the oven to broil. Broil for 2 - 3 minutes, watching carefully so the cheese doesn’t burn.

Remove and serve immediately!

Spaghetti Squash Tomato Cheese Bake

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice's Kitchen

Serves 4

I made this up with a spaghetti squash that a friend had given to me.  I had some cheese and a partial jar of marinara sauce and put this together.  It’s simple, tasty comfort food without the pasta.  Spaghetti squash is a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber and vitamin C.  Serve this with a crisp salad and a piece of fruit for a very nice Meatless Monday meal.

1 large spaghetti squash

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Olive oil spray

2 cups or so marinara sauce (I used Local FolksTomato & Herb Marinara Pasta Sauce.)

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

2 fresh tomatoes, sliced thinly

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. With a fork, pierce the spaghetti squash all over.  Place on a baking sheet; bake, turning the squash once, until easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 to 60 minutes.  (You can also microwave the pierced squash on high for 10 to 15 minutes.)

When it is cool enough to handle, halve the squash lengthwise; scoop out the seeds and discard them.  Working over the baking dish, use a fork to gently scrape flesh to release the strands from the squash.  (This can be done in advance.  Store the spaghetti squash strands in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.)

Lower the oven temperature to 350 F.  Spray the bottom and sides of a 2½-quart casserole dish with the olive oil spray.  Mix the marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese with the spaghetti squash strands.  Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with half of the spaghetti squash mixture.  Place the tomato slices over the entire top of the spaghetti squash mixture.  Cover with the remaining spaghetti squash mixture.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or so until heated through and the cheese has melted.

Note:  I think you could easily add other veggies to this dish such as blanched broccoli pieces or even chopped baby spinach and mushroom slices.

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Spaghetti Squash Yakisoba Style

Serves 4

Recipe from PickledPlum.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I’m always happy to find a new and different meatless main dish to add to my repertoire, especially one that uses spaghetti squash!  We thought this was very tasty and perfect for a light dinner.  To make prep even easier, roast the spaghetti squash in advance and scrape the pulp into strands.  Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days and then proceed with the recipe. 

1 small spaghetti squash (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 small onion, finely chopped

10 shiitake mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup coleslaw mix or a mixture of shredded cabbage and shredded carrots

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried red chile, chopped or 1 cube of Dorot Frozen Red Chili

Sauce:

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

½ Tablespoon honey (use sugar to make this recipe vegan)

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scrape out the seeds with a spoon.  Microwave for 20-25 minutes (or bake in the oven at 400F for 40-50 minutes.)

Use a fork to scrape the flesh into strands.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and the onions.  Cook the onions for 3 minutes or until they are softened.

Add the coleslaw mix and red chile and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the spaghetti squash, scallions, and the sauce.  Mix well until the sauce has evenly coated all the vegetables.  Cook for a minute or two.  Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

No Mac Spaghetti Squash "Mac and Cheese"

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4 to 6

Here’s a nice dish for this week’s Meatless Monday lunch or dinner. It’s similar to macaroni and cheese except that instead of using macaroni, spaghetti squash is used. Spaghetti squash is a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber and vitamin C.
Skim milk is used in this recipe as well, which is a good source of calcium. Serve this with a crisp salad and a piece of fruit for a tasty vegetarian dinner.

1 large spaghetti squash
Olive oil spray
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup flour
3 cups skim milk
1 to 2 cups hot pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I just crumbled up day old bread.)

Preheat oven to 400 F. With a fork, pierce the spaghetti squash all over. Place on a baking sheet; bake, turning the squash once, until easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 to 60 minutes. (You can also microwave the pierced squash on high for 10 to 15 minutes.)
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir about 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle with the flour. Stir until incorporated. Cook about 1 minute stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk, whisking all the while. Cook and stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes or so. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheeses until they melt. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Halve the squash lengthwise; scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Spray a 13” x 9” baking dish with olive oil spray. Working over the baking dish, use a fork to gently scrape flesh to release the strands from the squash.
Pour cheese sauce over the spaghetti squash strands, mixing it in. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and the crumbs are lightly browned.

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine
Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

Those of you who are looking for something that will replace high carb pasta, here's the perfect thing! Try this with Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Sauce (recipe on this blog) for a healthy, but very tasty dinner. If you are looking for another way to prepare spaghetti squash, try Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs & Hazelnuts (recipe on this blog.)

2 spaghetti squash (2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, slivered
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a fork, prick squash in several places. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until soft to the touch, about 1 hour.
When cool enough to handle, halve squash crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Holding squash half over a wide bowl, use a fork to scrape the flesh into long, thin strands.
In a large skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add garlic; cook until fragrant and just starting to color, about 5 minutes. Add squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until squash is very hot, about 5 minutes.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs & Hazelnuts

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

My good walking buddy, Janet, recently gave me some spaghetti squash from her garden. My hubby and I usually eat spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce on it, but I saw this recipe along with an enticing photo of the dish in a Martha Stewart Magazine, I decided to give this a try. My honey, Jim, really liked this dish. I thought it tasted even better the next day after reheating it in the microwave. To learned more about spaghetti squash and hazelnuts, including alternate cooking methods for spaghetti squash, go to this website or read more at the end of this blog entry: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/

1 spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds), halved lengthwise, seeds removed (use a spoon to scrape seeds out, just as you would a pumpkin)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup blanched hazelnuts (1 ounce), toasted and coarsely chopped (To see how to "blanch," read below.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheet on a wire rack, about 10 minutes.
Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl. Add oil, Parmesan, parsley, cilantro, hazelnuts, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss, and serve immediately.

More great information about spaghetti squash:
Averaging from 4 to 8 pounds, the cylinder shaped spaghetti squash is generally available year-round with a peak season from early fall through winter. While a true spaghetti squash is pale ivory to pale yellow in color have a mild flavor that is easily enhanced by the food served with or on it. A dieter's dream, a four-ounce serving of spaghetti squash has only 37 calories. Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month. After cutting, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Spaghetti squash also freezes well. Pack cooked squash into freezer bags, seal, label and freeze. Partially thaw before re-using, then steam until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes.
How To Cook Spaghetti Squash:
Bake It -- Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer and place in baking dish. Cook squash in preheated 375?F oven approximately 1 hour or until flesh is tender.
Boil It -- Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done.
Microwave It -- Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork "comb" out the strands.
Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot - Choose a smaller spaghetti squash (unless you have an extra large slow cooker) so that it will fit. Add 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer, add to Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Once the squash is cooked, let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes so it will be easier to handle, before cutting in half (if it wasn't already) and removing the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands. You can do these steps ahead of time, then prepare spaghetti squash recipes whenever the mood strikes.

Hazelnuts: Also known as Filberts Rich, sweet, grape sized wild nuts that grow in clusters on the hazel tree. Filberts are used in both sweet and savory dishes, as well as eaten out of hand. You can buy Filberts chopped or whole in packages or in the hard brown shells. If you buy your nuts in the shell, be sure to remove the bitter brown skin before using. The best way to do this is to place them on a baking sheet in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove nuts from oven and place a couple of handfuls of the roasted nuts at a time in a clean kitchen towel. Rub the nuts vigorously in the towel. This will remove most of the skins.