RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash with Onion, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese

INGREDIENTS1 spaghetti squash
2–3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion or leeks, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley or basil, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 375 °F.
• Pierce squash a few times with a fork or sharp paring knife (to let steam escape).
• Bake for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife easily pierces skin with little resistance
• Let squash cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut squash in half, lengthwise.
• Using a large spoon, remove and discard the seeds and pulp.
• Use a fork to scrape the squash into long strands, like spaghetti.
• Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add garlic and onion, and cook for 3–5 minutes until soft.
• Add parsley and salt, and stir in spaghetti squash strands.
• Toss well, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and add more salt to taste.
• Serve warm. (Squash should be al dente—with a slight crunch).

 Serves 4. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 1 hour.

RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bake

Difficulty Level: Moderate

 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour 35 mins

 

Flavorful, hearty 10-ingredient Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bake with simple tofu ricotta and vegan parmesan cheese! A plant-based meal that's perfect for fall and winter!

Serves: 6-8

 

Ingredients

SQUASH

• 2 large spaghetti squash (~3-4 pounds each)

TOFU FILLING

• 3-4 Tbsp (45-60 ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for squash
• Sea salt + black pepper, to taste (~1/2 tsp each), plus more for squash
• 2 lemons, juiced (~1/3 cup or 80 ml)
• 12 ounces (340 g) extra firm tofu, drained and pressed dry for 10 minutes
• 3 Tbsp (9 g) nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup (30 g) fresh basil, packed
• 1 Tbsp (3 g) dried oregano
• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

FOR SERVING

• Vegan parmesan cheese
• 25 ounces (708 g) favorite marinara/red sauce
• optional: Fresh basil, chopped
• optional: Red pepper flakes

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil.
2. Carefully halve your spaghetti squash lengthwise using a sharp knife. I find the best way is to pierce the skin with the very tip of the knife and push it all the way through to the other side. Rock the knife back and forth to cut one half all the way through, then repeat on the other side.
3. Use an ice cream scoop (or sharp spoon) to scrape out the seeds and most of the stringy parts. It should appear pretty clean.
4. Brush the interior with oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the skin and flesh. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Also reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F.
5. In the meantime, add all tofu filling ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse to combine, scraping down sides as needed. You are looking for a semi-pureed mixture with bits of basil still intact.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt and pepper for flavor, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, and lemon juice for brightness.
7. Once fully baked and slightly cooled, use a fork to scoop out spaghetti squash into fine strings. Set aside.
8. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish and lay down 1/3 of the squash. Top with several spoonfuls of tofu ricotta, then pour on a layer of marinara sauce. Repeat until all ricotta filling and marinara is used up - about 3 layers. Make sure the top layer is sauce.
9. Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Cover with foil if the squash is browning too quickly.
10. Let cool briefly, then serve with desired toppings (listed above). I prefer red pepper flakes and vegan parmesan cheese. Fresh basil adds a nice pop of color.
11. Best when fresh. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until completely warmed through.

RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Spinach

PREP TIME10 mins

COOK TIME60 mins

TOTAL TIME1 hour 10 mins

 

Serves: 8

Difficulty Level: Moderate

 

INGREDIENTS

·       1 medium spaghetti squash

·       1 tbsp organic butter

·       1 cup sweet onion, chopped

·       ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

·       2-3 garlic cloves, minced

·       3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

·       ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

·       1 free range egg

·       1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

·       salt and pepper to taste

·       2 cups spaghetti sauce

·       ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

·       ½ cup Parmesan cheese

·       ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs (or see notes to make your own)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length wise, remove all seeds and place on baking sheet face down. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender.

2.     Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter, onions, bell pepper, and minced garlic, saute for 4-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add chopped spinach and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes, or until spinach is cooked and wilted. Remove from heat.

3.     Once squash is cooked and cooled, use a fork to shred flesh into large bowl. At this point, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.

4.     Add free-range egg, Greek yogurt, chili flakes and half of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

5.     Pour 1 cup spaghetti sauce into 2 quart baking dish. Next, spoon spaghetti squash mixture over sauce and spread evenly. Then layer sautéed veggies over squash, stirring just slightly to combine it with squash, add another cup of spaghetti sauce, spread evenly then top with remaining bread crumbs, Parmesan and ¾ cup mozzarella cheese.

6.     Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

7.     Top with additional red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese if desired, then serve!

NOTES

To make your own seasoned bread crumbs, toast one piece of bread until nice and crispy, allow to cool completely, then tear into smaller pieces and add to NutriBullet or food processor, add 1 tsp parsley, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp onion powder and ¼ tsp garlic powder. Blend 10-15 seconds or until you have fine crumbs.

Pasta with Tofu “Bolognese”

serves 8, a Fearless Homemaker original recipe

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
kosher salt + black pepper
2 (14 oz.) packages extra-firm tofu
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you’re not concerned with keeping this vegetarian)
12 oz. pasta, such as linguine or fettuccine
Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley, for serving

 

Directions

First, prepare the tofu. Press the tofu blocks between paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Then, using your hands, crumble into smaller pieces. Don’t worry about making them super small – you’ll crumble them further during the cooking process. Set crumbled tofu aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add in the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 10-15 minutes, until onions are translucent and vegetables are softened. Add in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the crumbled tofu and Italian seasoning to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for about 30 minutes, breaking up the tofu into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, stirring every 3-5 minutes. The tofu will gradually turn golden brown – be patient, as it takes some time! The less you fuss with it (especially in the first few minutes), the better the tofu will brown.

After about 30 minutes, once the tofu is broken down into ground meat-size pieces and golden brown, add the tomato paste. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to get everything well-combined. Then, add in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, red pepper, vegetable or chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and drain pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss to combine well, adding some of the cooking liquid if needed to achieve your desired consistency.

Serve immediately, topped with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.

RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash

Difficulty Level: EASY 

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

1/2 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole-wheat breadcrumbs, toasted
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup low-fat or full fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush cut sides of squash with ½ tablespoon oil (or spritz with an olive oil mister), salt & and pepper. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

2. With a fork, scrape the flesh of the squash to extract its long strands. Transfer to a large bowl. Add tablespoon of olive oil, ricotta, nutmeg, brown sugar, parsley, breadcrumbs, and hazelnuts, plus additional salt and pepper to taste. Toss all ingredients together and serve immediately, while squash is still warm.

RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash Delight

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:

•  1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
•  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•  1 onion, chopped
•  1 clove garlic, minced
•  1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
•  3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
•  3 tablespoons sliced black olives
•  2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.


2. Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.


3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warmed through.


4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm. Add spinach if you have it.