Hello Vegetarian Carnivores! I can’t believe it’s the fall already. I feel like I just celebrated the new year, and yet here we are. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know this is the start of my favorite time of year. And well, if you’re new here, welcome! And now you know too. There is something about fall seasonal produce and all the hearty spices that come out around this time of year. So even though it is still bright and sunny in beautiful San Francisco (and not even October yet), I would like to bring you this super hearty vegan stuffed spaghetti squash recipe.
Why you will love this stuffed spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash is one of those vegetables with whom I have always had a love/hate relationship. And the reason for that is that while a beautifully cooked spaghetti squash has the perfect texture, the actual squash always felt finicky and unpredictable in a final dish. For example, I have trialed and errored several spaghetti squash recipes over the years. They’ve either come out half uncooked (imagine biting into a raw chunk of squash-gross!) or entirely mushy to the point the lovely spaghetti-like strands were a gloopy mess.
And the frustrating part of it was that these annoying fails would often happen when I googled how to cook a good spaghetti squash. It was mind boggling- was I the only one who had this issue?
It wasn’t until I went completely recipe free and took a chance freestyle for me to find a way to cook this that actually worked (and that actually tasted good reheated the next day). So now I’m going to show you how to do it. And I hope that if by chance you also have a problem with cooking a good spaghetti squash, my recipe will help you.
Our Star Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash- Obviously, this is the most important ingredient. While you could definitely stuff any kind of squash, like butternut or acorn, the whole point of using a spaghetti squash is to get the stringy al dente texture inside.
Silken Tofu- Silken tofu is the base for the cheese sauce inside. It’s perfectly creamy and holds its texture. It’s customizable to your taste and I like to add a little bouillon, Kelly’s Crouton’s cheesy parm, and dijon mustard to give it a cheesy and tangy flavor. It all comes together in 2 minutes in a Vitamix or any high power blender.
Sun Dried Tomatoes- Texture, flavor, color. The best way to create exciting dishes is to play around with these three characteristics, and sun dried tomatoes have them all. They have a beautiful chewy texture that is going to break up the creaminess from the cheese sauce. They have a tart, tangy flavor that will introduce extra flavor into the inherently bland spaghetti squash. Lastly, they have a beautiful crimson color, which is just visually appealing. I am using bottled sun dried tomatoes in oil for this, but you can use the ones that come in a bag as well if you don’t want to deal with finding room in the fridge for a bottle.
Frozen Spinach- I love spinach for its taste, nutritional content, and the aesthetic bright pop of green. I highly recommend you use frozen spinach here, as we are not doing any cooking at all until we put the squash into the oven (Really!)
How to make stuffed spaghetti squash
The first thing you want to do is make your tofu cheese sauce. So take your high powered blender and add in all the cheese sauce ingredients and blend on medium speed until well combined. Taste and add a little more bouillon if you feel the raw tofu taste is still there. Everyone’s threshold is a little different.
Next, I like to take a knife and make shallow cuts on the spaghetti squash. Then I microwave it for 3-4 minutes until I am able to cut it in half. I have tried doing this entirely uncooked, including oiling the knife to get it to cut easier, but no luck. If you are able to cut it entirely uncooked, go for it. If you microwave it first, it will be very hot. Use oven mitts to take it out of the microwave and hold it down while you cut through it. We don’t want any accidents. Use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds- we won’t be using them for this recipe.
Next, take your thawed frozen spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as you can before adding it to a bowl with the sun-dried tomatoes and half the cheese sauce. Remember our goal is to keep the spaghetti squash tender and cooked, but not saddled down with so much water it turns to a mess.
The last step is simply to stuff the two halves of your cut and seeded spaghetti squash. Make sure you season the squash with salt, pepper, and just a touch of olive oil. I like to add a layer of shredded vegan mozzarella at the base (idea inspiration from Tieghan of Half Baked Harvest!) to get it extra cheesy. Next, layer on the spinach mixture, and top off with the remaining tofu cheese sauce.
Before throwing it in the oven you can throw on some seasonings- I like adding a generous sprinkle of red chili flakes for some heat.
When it comes out of the oven, let it rest until it is cool enough to handle and use a fork to pull apart the spaghetti strands. Mix well and honestly you can eat it right out of the squash if you want!
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 10 oz silken tofu
- 1 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and excess moisture squeezed out
- 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 tbsp Kelly’s Crouton’s Spicy Cheesy Parm (sub nutritional yeast)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Better than Bouillon vegan onion base
- 1/2 cup oat milk
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan Mozzarella
- 1 tsp red chili flakes, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts around the squash and microwave it for 2-3 minutes.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise and discard seeds.
- In a high power blender, combine tofu, garlic powder, paprika powder, Kelly’s Crouton’s Spicy Cheesy Parm, dijon mustard, bouillon base, and oat milk. Blend until completely smooth.
- In a bowl combine spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and half of the cheese mixture and mix well.
- Layer the spaghetti squash, first with shredded mozzarella at the bottom, followed by spinach mixture, and top it off with the remaining cheese sauce.
- Add any toppings like fresh herbs or red pepper and bake at 425F for 40 minutes.
- Let it rest until it has cooled a little and use a fork to pull the spaghetti strands and mix well in the squash. Enjoy!
