Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls are a fun & healthy fall dinner! Vegan & gluten-free, they're filled with poblano cashew cream, veggies & black beans.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

And just like that, it’s squash season again!

Admittedly, until last year, spaghetti squash was not my favorite. I think butternut gets all the fall glory and poor spaghetti squash, well, it’s just inaccurately named. The name implies that you can sauce it up and twirl it with a fork – and if that’s what you’re craving, maybe go check out one of these recipes.

If you’re up for roasted squash strands fluffed up with a fork and stuffed with delicious things, then keep reading!

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

I had this small-ish spaghetti squash that was the perfect size to serve as “bowls” for two individual servings. The filling here is what you might stuff into a burrito bowl: black beans, roasted tomatoes, corn, pepitas and avocado. Instead of sour cream, I served it with this delicious cashew cream that’s blended with cilantro and roasted poblano.

So to recap: this is vegan, gluten-free, and still not pasta.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This recipe is super easy, but the longest part is waiting for everything to roast. Pour yourself a glass of wine (or two), check your Instagram, talk to your husband – occupy yourself for about an hour (make the sauce) – and then stuff and serve!

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

4.3 from 3 reviews

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 small to medium spaghetti squash
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup diced roasted poblano pepper
  • ½ ear fresh corn, husked
  • ¼ cup pepitas
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cashew poblano cream: (this makes extra)
  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked at least 3 to 4 hours, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup fresh water
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ½ roasted poblano pepper
  • Small handful of cilantro (about ¼ cup packed)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Roast the poblano pepper under the broiler until the skin blisters. Remove and place in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel. When the pepper is cool to the touch, remove loose skin and slice off the stem. Use ½ of the pepper to make the poblano cashew cream. Dice the other half and set aside.
  2. Turn the oven heat to 325°F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange cut side up. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out of the center. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on the baking sheet cut side up. Roast the tomatoes until they shrivel and brown around the edges and roast the spaghetti squash until the flesh can easily be loosened into “strands” when scraped with a fork, about 1 hour. During the last 15 minutes, wrap the corn in foil and place in the oven.
  4. Meanwhile, blend together the cashews, water, garlic, and lime juice until creamy. Add the ½ poblano pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper and blend again. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  5. Assemble the squash "bowls." Use a fork to loosen the squash strands. Slice the corn kernels off the cob and add them to the squash halves along with the diced poblano, roasted tomatoes, black beans, pepitas, avocado. Add a squeeze of lime and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the poblano cashew cream on the side.
Notes
My spaghetti squash was pretty small. If your spaghetti squash is larger (and too big for 2 individual sized portions), just scoop out the strands and serve in bowls. Increase the proportion of the filling ingredients accordingly.

If you don't have fresh tomatoes, a scoop of salsa would be delicious here.

 

21 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Sara
    10.05.2020

    This was a HIT! My carnivorous husband said, “It doesn’t even taste vegan!” I can’t wait to make this again and again and again.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.06.2020

      I’m so happy to hear that you both loved it!

  2. Bethany
    10.14.2015

    Made this last night for dinner, and it was AMAZING!! Thank you!!

    • jeanine
      10.14.2015

      yay, I’m so glad! Thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂

  3. Kristina from ohthegoodies.com
    10.01.2015

    This is perfect, you can stuff it with whatever you want. I love spaghetti squash and I use it anytime I can find it, but I normally use just the meat. Have to try this once.

  4. Emily from glossom.com
    10.01.2015

    Squash full of delicious goodness? I like the idea and it really looks perfect for the fall. I just hope the boys like it too. They can’t live without meat.

  5. Very clever presentation, ‘love it! I can already imagine the smell of roasted poblano peppers and cherry tomatoes. Great flavour combinations!

  6. lisa
    09.30.2015

    great idea! i usually prefer zucchini noodles to spaghetti squash because i find the squash a little sweet, but it sounds really well balanced with the poblano. thanks for the recipe!

    • jeanine
      09.30.2015

      agree! Zucchini noodles have a much better al dente bite to them 🙂

  7. Allyson
    09.30.2015

    This looks so yummy! It’s definitely time for fall!

  8. Annie
    09.30.2015

    Love these striped plates – where are they from? Thanks!

  9. This looks amazing! Spaghetti squash is pretty much my favorite thing about fall 🙂

    And thank you for the suggestions on how to spend the roasting time – wine + Instagram are perfect ways to pass the time!

  10. This might be a silly question, but was spaghetti squash always called spaghetti squash? I feel like it’s only become a more recent trend, but I couldn’t recall what this type of squash was called before.

  11. annie from chasethatilove.com
    09.30.2015

    So…..spaghetti squash taco salad? I love it. Spaghetti squash does such a good job of filling me up without making me feel “full.” These flavor profiles rock my belly!

    • jeanine
      09.30.2015

      thanks! yep, pretty much! I was going to call them burrito bowls, but then they didn’t end up looking quite the part 🙂

  12. natalie from catalinacreative.com
    09.30.2015

    What a fabulous recipe for fall?! And so creative. I love the presentation and it sounds delicious 🙂 Definitely adding to my bookmarks!

    • Jovi
      09.20.2016

      I don’t think your rating should count since you haven’t actually made this.

  13. Heather from currently-craving.com
    09.30.2015

    I love how the squash halves become the bowls! Anything that makes for less dishes is a-ok by me ;). I’ve started cooking spaghetti squash in the microwave after reading an article on The Kitchn – it makes it super quick to cook and, more importantly, easier to cut.

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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.