This spaghetti squash pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes if you have an air fryer or electric pressure cooker. It's topped with a vegetarian pasta sauce using Beyond Beef crumbles that is easily made vegan, and it's all completely gluten free.
The pasta sauce made with Beyond Beef crumbles can be made ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 - 4 days, or 3 months in the freezer.
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- ๐คทโโ๏ธ Is Spaghetti Squash High in Carbs?
- ๐ฉโ๐ณ How To Cook Spaghetti Squash
- ๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- ๐ช Recommended Equipment
- ๐ Instructions Overview
- โฐ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- ๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
- ๐ฅฌ Make it Vegan
- ๐ More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
- Spaghetti Squash Pasta with 'Meaty' Sauce
- Ingredient Notes for the Pasta Sauce
This healthy spaghetti squash recipe is perfect for those nights when life is crazy, and you need something healthy, satisfying and fast.
๐คทโโ๏ธ Is Spaghetti Squash High in Carbs?
When we think of fall and winter squash, we naturally - and rightly - associate them with a lot of carbs. For example, 1 cup of butternut squash cubes (100 grams) delivers 21.5 grams of total carbs and 15 net carbs. It's not as bad as a baked potato, which comes in at 37 carbs, but spaghetti squash stacks up well against butternut.
1 cup of spaghetti squash, on the other hand, contains a total of 10 total carbs, and 7.8 net carbs.
Net carbs only includes carbs that the body can fully digest into glucose. So, for example, fiber is subtracted from the total carbs calculation to arrive at net carbs. Check out this article for more information on net carbs vs. total carbs.
And when we swap in spaghetti squash noodles for wheat based spaghetti, the difference in carbs is even more dramatic.
Regular spaghetti noodles come in at a whopping ~42 total carbs (!) and almost 41 net carbs. And now that you know the difference between total and net carbs, it's easy to see how little fiber regular spaghetti noodles provide our diet.
๐ฉโ๐ณ How To Cook Spaghetti Squash
There are a number of ways to cook spaghetti squash. If you have an air fryer, check out this post for Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash. It covers the advantages (and drawbacks) of all the different methods, as well as detailed instructions on slicing the squash and readying it for cooking. Detailed instructions for cooking in the air fryer with photos are provided too.
Below are some highlights on my 2 favorite ways.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Air Fryer
My favorite method for cooking spaghetti squash is the air fryer.
Slice the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Oil the inside surfaces, and set the air fryer temperature for 375หF. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in an Electric Pressure Cooker
My second favorite way to cook spaghetti squash is in an electric pressure cooker, such as the Instant Pot.
Place a rack, in the inner pot with a cup water. Puncture the squash a few times with a sharp knife, and position it on the rack. You may need to slice off the top stem to do this. Lock it down, and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 15 minutes. Perform a QUICK RELEASE. Allow to cool a bit before slicing in half and scooping out the pulp and seeds.
๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. Shortcut store-bought options and ingredients you can make ahead and save in the refrigerator can turn a dish that takes 60 (or more) minutes to make into a 30 minute meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Spaghetti squash
- Yellow onion
- Garlic - I often use Gourmet Garden Stir-In Garlic Paste because it's so much faster and easier than mincing my own garlic or making garlic paste. But you can also make your own garlic paste using this method.
- Red peppers - if I'm in a hurry for a quick weeknight dinner, I use jarred roasted red peppers that are already peeled, but you can easily roast your own, peel and seed them.
- Beyond Beef Crumbles - Beyond Beef is also available refrigerated (not frozen) in 1 pound packages. But I sometimes turn to frozen packages of Beyond Beef Crumbles for convenience. If you want to stay away from process foods altogether, substitute firm tofu.
- Marinara sauce - You can make your own tomato sauce, and keep it in jars in the refrigerator or freezer, or purchase a favorite one. If I don't have any of my own on hand, I prefer Rao's Marinara Sauce above others that I've tried.
- Basil pesto - This is completely optional, but adds a wonderful extra layer of flavor depth. I typically make a lot of homemade pesto in the late summer and freeze it, and then add cubes to sauces. But you can also purchase your favorite pre-made pesto at your market.
- Oregano - fresh or dried.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
๐ช Recommended Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Air fryer or Instant Pot - for cooking the spaghetti squash
- Large skillet
๐ Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this spaghetti squash pasta dish are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview!
Step 1
Cook the spaghetti squash. Use your favorite method for cooking the spaghetti squash. Options and details are provided above.
Step 2
Make the sauce. Cook the diced onion in a little olive oil in a skillet that's large enough to accommodate the sauce. When it's softened, add the garlic and red peppers.
After a couple minutes, add the frozen crumbles. When the crumbles are thawed and warmed up, add the marinara and pesto. Stir in the oregano.
Step 3
Assemble. Scrape up the spaghetti squash strands using the tines of a fork, and top with the sauce. Alternatively, you can dump the noodles onto a plate, as pictured, and top with the sauce.
โฐ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Cook the spaghetti squash in an electric pressure cooker, such as the Instant Pot, or an air fryer.
- Use store-bought garlic paste, as described in the Ingredients Section above.
- Purchase a jar of pre-roasted, peeled and seeded red peppers instead of roasting your own.
- Use store-bought marinara and pesto sauces.
๐กIdeas for Possible Variations
If you have any balsamic tomatoes on hand in the refrigerator, add two or three of them to the sauce. They add a fabulous boost of umami to the sauce.
๐ฅฌ Make it Vegan
Use a vegan pesto or make your own with a plant-based Parmesan style cheese.
๐ More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
Creamy Spinach Spaghetti Squash Casserole
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Spaghetti Squash Pasta with 'Meaty' Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 yellow onion diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 4 - 5 large garlic cloves smashed and minced
- 2 roasted red peppers chopped into ยฝ" pieces (see ingredient notes below)
- 1 10-ounce package of Beyond Beef Crumbles
- 2 cups your favorite store-bought tomato sauce or make your own
- ยผ cup pesto
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375หF. Slice the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds using a spoon. Rub the inside surfaces with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly salt the surfaces.
- Roast for 15 minutes. If strands don't come up when scraping a fork across the surface, roast for an additional 5 minutes. For more details, or roasting in the oven, see this article.
- While the squash roasts, add the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil to a large sautรฉ pan, over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sautรฉ for 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and chopped roasted red pepper, and sautรฉ another 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen Beyond Beef crumbles and cook for 5 minutes until thawed. Stir in the pasta sauce and pesto. Cook until bubbling.
- Scrape up the spaghetti squash strands using a fork, and pile it onto 2 plates. Top with the sauce and a sprinkling of fresh oregano.
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