Spaghetti Squash w/ Chickpeas & Kale

Sun-dried tomatoes give this vegan spaghetti squash recipe a savory pop. Hearty from chickpeas & kale, it's a great fall or winter weeknight dinner.

Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale

The first time I had spaghetti squash, it was served with a big scoop of store-bought marinara sauce mixed in. It was slimy and goop-y and decidedly not spaghetti-like.

About a month ago, ditching the pasta idea completely, I planned a post for bbq spaghetti squash tacos. I have a super cute photo to prove that the meal existed, but the recipe ended in total disaster.

So, long story short, I’ve learned that I prefer my spaghetti squash as simple as possible and most importantly: sauce-less. The roasted strands come out of the oven with a nice al-dente bite, but, smothered in sauce, they become just too mushy for me. Check out this post to see how I cook spaghetti squash to get the yummy al dente strands you’ll want for this recipe.

Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale

In this recipe, the roasted squash strands are lightly tossed with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and a good squeeze of lemon. I added chickpeas and kale to make it a full meal and toasted some pine nuts for crunch. Sun dried tomatoes add a nice pop of flavor, but you could add anything briny that you like – freshly roasted tomatoes, capers, or maybe some chopped kalamata olives.

So while spaghetti squash is not pasta and it never will be, this veggie-packed bowl just moved up my list as a healthy weeknight favorite.

Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale

If you loved this recipe, try these roasted fall vegetable recipes next:


4.9 from 197 reviews

Spaghetti Squash w/ Chickpeas & Kale

 
This easy spaghetti squash with kale is a great healthy weeknight dinner! Flavored with rosemary, lemon, and sun-dried tomatoes, it's a delicious vegan and gluten-free dish.
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, sliced thinly
  • 1 whole garlic clove
  • ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • Pinch of chile flakes
  • ½ cup chickpeas, cooked drained and rinsed (or roasted)
  • 2 (packed) cups chopped kale leaves
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (or capers or olives)
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Prepare your squash following the directions in this post.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan, then add the shallots, the whole garlic clove (we’ll remove it later), rosemary, chile flakes, and pinches of salt and pepper.
  4. Once the shallot starts to soften add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes until lightly golden brown. If you’re using roasted chickpeas, add them at the end of the recipe instead. Remove the garlic clove, add the kale and lemon juice, and stir.
  5. Once the kale is partially wilted, add the squash strands, the sun-dried tomatoes, a little grated Parmesan, and more salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to incorporate. Remove from heat and top with toasted pine nuts and extra grated cheese.
Notes
Vegan option - skip the cheese

 

329 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Richard
    04.10.2021

    That is absolutely DELICIOUS..
    Not crazy about spaghetti squash but this recipe is Hummm.
    Thank you.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.11.2021

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  2. Ruth
    03.22.2021

    Loved the flavor..my husband kept eating til it was gone! Mine wasn’t as pretty as yours maybe I will try grape tomatoes next time.

  3. Marlena
    03.05.2021

    Delicious! My husband was not excited about having spaghetti squash because he had it with tomato sauce before and didn’t like it. We both loved your recipe. I used frozen spinach and lime since I didn’t have kale or lemon. Yummm!

  4. dana
    02.27.2021

    I made it, its delicious. Could you include the calories and the macros? That would be so helpful.

  5. Ginny
    01.30.2021

    This is soooo good! I double the kale mixture and add a little bit of garlic salt and Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle seasoning. Keeps great in fridge. A KEEPER!!!!

  6. Lorraine
    01.25.2021

    This spagetti squash recipe was just what I was looking for, since I do not have tomato sauce. It is healthier without the tom.oes

  7. Kate
    01.25.2021

    This turned out delicious! I love a good one pot dish. I ended up using cannelloni beans instead of chick peas and basil instead of rosemary because that is what I had available but it turned out great. Made without cheese because I am vegan as well. I agree that keeping spaghetti squash simple and without sauce is best.

  8. Kristen
    01.25.2021

    Wow this turned out amazing. This recipe really grabbed my attention because it contained a combination of lots of my favourite things! The squash really takes on all the different flavours and provides a very yummy meal that I will definitely be adding to my rotation! Great for a meal-prep option as it’s just as excellent when reheated.

  9. Elizabeth B
    01.14.2021

    I just made this for breakfast and it is scrumptious, thank you for coming up with such a delicious and nutritious combination.

  10. Stefanie
    01.09.2021

    Made this tonight with what ingredients we had around the house (surprisingly, that included everything besides pine nuts)… my non-vegetarian family loved it! We garnished with some goat cheese crumbles and this dish did not disappoint! A great way to sneak kale into the kids’ diet without fuss. This recipe is definitely a keeper and will be going into my regular fall/winter rotation!

  11. Carol
    01.05.2021

    This is delicious! Since I do not use salt I doubled the rosemary. I cook without oil, using water as needed. Delish!!! Finally—a recipe to love! Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.06.2021

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  12. Jennifer Lawson
    01.05.2021

    I absolutely loved! I didn’t have any rosemary left so I used savory, thyme, and dill. I didn’t have parm so I just sprinkled a little moz. Was fantastic!

  13. jj
    01.05.2021

    link to roasted chickpeas takes you to spagetti squash

  14. Kim
    12.15.2020

    Please tell me, how far in advance might we be able to roast the squash and not loose the quality of the dish?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.16.2020

      Hi Kim, you could roast the squash the day before, store it in the fridge, but let it drain in a colander before you use it in case it becomes more watery in the fridge. Hope that helps!

  15. Larry
    12.07.2020

    Had the spaghetti squash, chick peas and some spinach. Wow! we used capers, left the garlic in, used spinach instead of kale. really, really good. The lemon is a must.

  16. Pam
    11.25.2020

    I wanted to eat healthy again and these r some great recipes. Thank you!

  17. Mary Schmidt
    11.10.2020

    Hello thanksgiving! My “go to” vegetable side or main, hot or cold. Great as dip for appetizers.
    Suggestions? Double lemon & full can of chick peas. Thank you!

  18. Janine
    11.09.2020

    Reading this recipe I knew it wood be good. It was out-of-this-world good!!! I am counting calories so I used no oil to roast the squash and used 1 teaspoon to saute shallots and garlic in non-stick pan. I eliminated the pine nuts and opted for sun-dried tomatoes. To anyone that makes this: DO NOT leave out the rosemary or fresh lemon juice and I recommend dried chickpeas. I used a 5 lb. squash and the portions were huge for two of us. 742 calories for the entire thing. Thanks! This was amazing!!

  19. Anja
    11.02.2020

    Very yummi and satiating! Unfortunately I overdid the spaghetti squash and it was a little mushy. But you live and learn… Next time this dish will be even better!

    • Anja
      11.02.2020

      Forgot: I used little more garlic, chopped it up and left it in, too.

  20. Rachel B
    11.01.2020

    I added extra sun-dried tomatoes and chopped the garlic up and left it in. its yummy and filling!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.