If you loved baked pasta, you’ll love Baked Spaghetti Squash with Cashew Cheese. Topped with a delicious homemade spaghetti sauce and easy to make cashew cheese, it’s the perfect comfort meal.
It’s fall, and the perfect time to enjoy your comfort food favorites. One of my favorites is baked spaghetti squash with cashew cheese and vegan spaghetti sauce. This is because it’s a super nutritious, fun and satisfying dish that’s also low calorie and low carb. I love how easy it is to make as you can make the sauce the day before or earlier and freeze it. Also, I make mine with homemade shreddable cashew cheese, but you can easily replace it with commercial vegan shreds.
Spaghetti squash is named for the noodle like trendils that occur when its baked. They’re just like noodles or zoodles but without having to use a spiralizer. The squash is bland, like pasta, and takes on the flavour of spaghetti sauce very well. This is why it does a great job replacing pasta and satisfying those pasta cravings.
Making Baked Spaghetti Squash
Making baked spaghetti squash is easy, and has the added bonus of having no dirty casserole dish to clean up aftewards! All you need to make it is a baked squash, “meaty” vegan spaghetti sauce and shredded vegan cheese. You can also make the cheese and sauce beforehand, making this a super fast and easy, anyday meal.
Begin by preparing and baking the spaghetti squash. Remove the seed and loose pulp and discard. Next, brush the top with oil and place face down on a baking sheet. Then, poke holes in the skin with a fork before baking for 30 minutes. The squash is done when flesh peels and trendils into noodles easily from the squash.
While the squash is baking, make your spaghetti sauce if you haven’t beforehand. Start by cooking the lentils. Next, mince the garlic, and grate the carrots and zuchinni. Then combine all the ingredients in a deep covered skillet. Cover and let simmer until the liquid has been mostly absorbed.
After your sauce is made, check the squash for doneness. Once it’s done, flip it over so the flesh side it up. Next, fill each hollow with the spaghetti sauce. Then, top with lots of shredded cheese. Finally, return the squash to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted, slightly browned and bubbling.
Healthy Comfort Eating
This is a great, easy dish that’s comforting, warm and delicious. Baked spaghetti squash can feed one or two people and can be frozen as well. I like to serve it with just a garden salad as it’s very filling. I also make sure to serve it hot, so the cheese is nice and gooey and melted.
Cooking with vegetables as a main course is a good habit to get into and one I’m trying to incorporate into my menu planning. It’s healthy, diet and carb friendly and makes for a colorful, nutritious and delicious meal. Baked spaghetti squash with cashew cheese is a fun way of getting the goodness of vegetables with the yummy comforting tastes we know and love. Give it a try tonight and I’m sure you’ll love it. Enjoy!
Vegan Comfort Food Favorites
Even if you didn’t love vegetables growing up, you can love them now. Healthy, comforting and sure to become family favorites, vegetable based recipes are sure to amaze and delight. Here are some of my favorites to try:
Roast Baby Potato Salad with Radish Greens and Vegan Bacon Bits
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Cashew Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon organic canola oil
- 2 cups vegan cheese shredded, homemade or commercially made
Spaghetti Sauce
- 2 tablespoons organic canola or olive oil
- 2 cups cooked green lentils
- 1 796 g can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 large zuchinni
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt free seasoning commercial or homemade
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar adjusted to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Rinse and cook lentils in a medum sized pot over high heat. Once cooked, drain well and set aside.
- Prepare squash by cutting in half lengthwise and scooping out the seeds. Coat the inside of the squash with oil.
- Place facedown on a baking dish or pan and prick the bottom of the squash with a fork a few times.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes or until squash is soft inside and the strands easily can be removed. Turn squash over on the same sheet and set aside.
- Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.
- To make the sauce: Puree chopped zuchinni and garlic together in a food processor.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until hot, about 1 minutes. Add the chopped zucchini and garlic. Stir for a minute or so until well cooked but not browned. Add spices and herbs and stir until well mixed. Add the water and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the entire can of tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. Let simmer 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Add lentils, stir well until mixed.
- Cover skillet reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed.
- To make cheese covered squash: Rake squash with a fork to slightly remove some of the strands. Push aside to make deep cavity in the center. Spoon sauce into the cavity, filling it. Top with vegan cheese, making sure to cover the entire top of the squash.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning on the edges. Serve hot.
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