Spaghetti squash can be a dieter’s best friend if you remember three things: 1) It doesn’t taste like pasta, 2) It doesn’t interact with sauce like pasta, and 3) It doesn’t taste like pasta. Okay, I know that’s actually two points, but the first bears repeating. Spaghetti squash tastes like–surprise!–squash, and if you sit down to a plate of it expecting to bite into a forkful of angel hair, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re expecting lightly sweet squashy flavor in fun-to-eat strands of gold, you’ll love spaghetti squash in general and this recipe in particular.
Besides tasting like squash, spaghetti squash has the texture of squash. Though its strands resemble thin noodles, it doesn’t have the starchiness of pasta so sauces don’t cling to it. That means that you don’t want to douse it with lots of sauce because the sauce tends to sink into a puddle underneath the “pasta.” Using just enough sauce to spread the herbs and seasonings through the golden strands is the key to working with spaghetti squash.
The lack of starchiness does have one huge benefit, which is why I mentioned the D-word above: On almost any diet plan, from Eat to Live to Weight Watchers to South Beach, spaghetti squash is considered a non-starchy or “free” vegetable. Many of us start the year off trying to adhere to specific diets, and this recipe is a light and healthy option that should fit easily into any of them.
Spaghetti squash is much easier to cut if you roast it first.
I like the flavor of roasted spaghetti squash much better than steamed, but I was using an older squash that was so hard to cut that I was in danger of losing a finger if I kept trying. So rather than cut it in half to bake, I pierced it several times with a metal skewer and put it in the oven whole.Â
It was much easier to cut after roasting, and it still had that smoky-sweet roasted flavor. If I had thought about it, I would have put a head of garlic in with it to roast, but I didn’t so I added fresh garlic later.Â
If you’d like, trim the top off of a head of garlic, wrap it in foil, and bake it along with the squash, checking after 45 minutes to see if it’s softened but not burned. Squeeze out as many of the cloves as you like into the pan when you add the Brussels sprouts and mash them with a fork.
I have to also note that my daughter E, upon looking into the pan as I was finishing cooking, said, “Do I have to eat that?” Our rule is that yes, she has to eat at least a small serving of whatever I cook. (The poor kid is my involuntary recipe tester!) I was really surprised when she finished her small serving and her salad and went back for a little more of each. When questioned, she said that it was “actually pretty good.” Then she poured herself a bowl of Fruitful O’s and soymilk. Oh well, adolescents need their sugar and starch, I suppose.
Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 medium onion , halved and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic , pressed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 15 ounces chickpeas , rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- salt and black pepper , to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- sliced almonds , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Pierce a spaghetti squash 8-10 times with a skewer or thin knife (pierce deeply through flesh into center). Place on a baking sheet on center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn 1/4 turn. Bake another 30 minutes or until outside has browned in places and shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.
- While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half (quarter larger sprouts). Place on a baking sheet and spray quickly (2 seconds) with olive oil. (This prevents burning; if you don’t want to use the oil, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.) When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove them when they are just beginning to be touched by brown but are not burning (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step).
- In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they become golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover tightly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more broth or water if skillet becomes dry. Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with lemon juice. Serve topped with crushed or sliced almonds, if desired.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Spaghetti Squash Take Over the Blogs:
- Tofu and Vegetable Cacciatore over Spaghetti Squash on this blog
- Spaghetti Squash Primavera on the Fatfree Vegan Recipes site
- Indian-Style Spaghetti Squash Curry on Chef In You
- Spaghetti Sqash Stuffed with Lentils at Tofu for Two
- Spaghetti Squash New Mexican with Black Beans and Lime from the Gluten-Free Goddess
- More Spaghetti Squash Recipes at VegBlogSearch
VeggieGirl
Oooh this sounds delicious!
Tiffany
This dish sounds wonderful! The photos are lovely, too. Thanks for sharing.
Nancy
Just reading the description made my mouth water! I didn’t even know I could roast a spaghetti squash without cutting it open first! I will be trying this recipe before the month is out, believe me!
Wendy (Healthy Girl's Kitchen)
This looks so yummy. Anything with brussels sprouts and chick peas gets my vote!
Moonwatcher
Susan,
I am so excited to learn that I can just prick some vents in the spaghetti squash and roast it whole with the same results as laboring to cut it in half–this makes my hands very happy! I would eat it more often, but it is so hard to cut if for me that I often avoid it. The whole recipe sounds great! Thanks!
And I laughed at the cereal. That was my son in his teen years. Big feed bags of often “colorful” serial and soy milk. You brought back some fun memories.
xo
moonwatcher
SusanV
After I cooked it that way, I found some recipes online where the squash was baked without any piercing at all. I was too afraid to do that because I was leaving it cooking in the oven while I was gone briefly, and I didn’t want to come home to find it had exploded! So you may not even have to take the trouble to pierce it, though I found that a metal skewer went right through it very easily.
Glad to bring back some memories! E never used to like cereal, but now that I have some of the colorful kind in the house, she’s picked up the habit. Her teenage male cousins seem to live on cereal. 🙂
Jenny
This look delicious (and healthy)! Definitely on my list to make, thanks for sharing =)
Melomeals: Vegan for $3.33 a Day
That looks and sounds so good! I hardly ever get spaghetti squash anymore now that I use my spiralizer so much.
Georgia
This sounds wonderful. I love anything with chickpeas, lemon, and garlic, and now that I know I could roast the squash whole, I might bring it back into the rotation. I always liked it, and my sometimes picky husband did too, but it always seemed like too much trouble (and danger) to cut it in half first.
Angela
Oh wow! I just bought every ingredient for this recipe by complete coincidence yesterday… that is, if you BELIEVE in coincidences. It’s no accident. I can’t wait to try this TONIGHT!
Angela
OK, we just ate this. I would absolutely recommend this recipe. It is delicious. It is simple to make. It is a nice change of pace. The textures of the three main ingredients go very well together. I threw the brussel sprouts into the oven 15 minutes before the spaghetti squash was done and it worked out perfectly. You can also cut the cooking time by 15 minutes on the spaghetti squash by cutting it in half lengthwise, face down and then roasting it. Of course, I realize Susan is using her toaster oven for this feat, so it would not be possible for her to do this. 🙂 Thanks Susan… another smash hit!
SusanV
Thanks for your review. I’m so glad you liked it!
bagwasher
This looks like a great recipe. Did you roast the squash and brussel sprouts it in your toaster oven?
SusanV
Yes, I did! The squash barely fit in there vertically, which is probably why it got so brown.
Sonja Lovas
I love the idea of roasting before cutting. I have always had difficulty cutting that squash! What a great combination I will definitely add this to my menu this week! Thanks for sharing.
Karina
Susan, this spaghetti squash recipe with Brussels sprouts looks beyond. Absolutely delicious – and so healthy. Brilliant pairing!
Leslie Paquette
I know what I’ll be making for dinner tomorrow night!! Spaghetti squash, brussels sprouts and chickpeas are 3 of my favorite foods. I usually eat spaghetti squash plain or with a veggie red sauce. Thanks for the great recipe idea.
Leslie
This recipe was absolutely delicious!! Great combo of ingredients and I really enjoyed the lemony flavor. My husband usually won’t eat chickpeas but said he give it a try. He didn’t pick a single one out while eating it and said they tasted a lot better heated than they do chilled. Go figure. I love chickpeas anyway so it never occured to me he might like them if they were served warm. Thanks again, I’m looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
filipinoglobalpost
Useful blog.
It looks delicious.
Thanks for sharing.
Allana
Coincidence? It was just yesterday I was wondering how I should prepare the spaghetti squash that has taken up residence in my refrigerator, then your recipe appeared in my inbox this evening 🙂
This looks amazing; especially since it calls for two of my favorite ingredients; chickpeas and Brussels sprouts. Going to try this one tomorrow for dinner.
How brilliant! Never thought of roasting the entire squash before. Even to cut it in half prior to roasting can be a task…this seems waay easier!
Tried many of your recipes before, and they have always been delightful! I’m sure this is going to be a winner as well! Thanks for sharing another creative and healthy recipe.
Best of health,
Allana
FoodFeud
Hehe, not kid-friendly, eh? More for me! If I do try this, I’ll be sure to throw some garlic in.
I actually like a lot of squash meals with pasta sauce; even cubed butternut with some sauce on top is really nice. Speaking of which, I hear you on the dangers of cutting open a squash! I was holding my breath the entire time the other night as I chopped it open.
Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn
Yum! Good thing I have a spaghetti squash in the pantry! I can’t wait to try this, especially since most of my spaghetti squash endeavors have been TOTAL flops;)
Tammy Ardolf
No brussel sprouts but I do have a head of cauliflower from my produce bin. I am going to roast it and throw it into the pot.
Thanks!
Lisa @simplifying the simple life
This looks amazing! What a great idea to roast the squash first! I’ve been obsessed with Brussels sprouts lately, so I must give this a try…thanks!
Angela (Oh She Glows)
Your description (and warning) of spag. squash made me giggle. You have such a way with words! I agree that it is so delicious even if not exactly like pasta!
Kathleen @ Kat's Health Corner
YEAH! I love Spaghetti Squash! I’ve been looking for some new ideas to have some fun with it, and you were like an answer to my prayers. Thanks!
April at Kitchen-Blender-Reviews
Hi Susan,
This looks like a great dish. Nice pics. I have never roasted a whole spaghetti squash before. One year it came up as a volunteer in our garden and we loved it! We had a crazy amount that to harvest, so I got creative as well.
The easiest way I found was to place it in a pressure cooker on a canning ring (to keep in off the bottom), stem side down. You may need to trim some stem to get it to stand up. Add just a bit of water, then bring it up to pressure and cut if off. Let it cool on its own and it is much easier to cut into. Perfect every time.
MachelleH
Susan, I have 3 boxes of winter squash from our CSA and a husband that doesn’t like winter squash! This was a rare winner among the recipes I have been trying out. Thanks for the success!
Jamie @ thrifty veggie mama
Sounds delicious! I will have to try it!
helena
this recipe was wonderful! will make again soon!
Cara
I totally agree with you – spaghetti squash is utterly delicious in its own right. This sounds like a wonderful preparation to play on it’s sweet flavors.
Nancy
I am trying this out for lunch. So excited!
Craig
Delicious recipe, although the steaming process bleeds the colour out of the sprouts, and they taste good just roasted. I might simply throw them in at the end next time. Either way, I’ll definitely be eating Brussels sprouts more often.
Caitlin
i love subbing spaghetti squash for pasta! this looks soo yummy. i’ll definitely be making it soon!
Alexia @ Dimple Snatcher
Thank you for clarifying, Susan. The first time I had spaghetti squash recently I was disappointed because well, I wanted…PASTA.
Lizabet
This was very tasty with great balance of flavors. My husband deemed it a “keeper.” It’s tad bit labor intensive (or I’m just slow and inefficient) but well worth the effort.
braelin
This looks wonderful— my kind of recipe! Thanks for posting.
Braelin
Kay
Hi there 🙂 I made this for dinner tonight, but without the chickpeas. Anyhoo, it was delicious! I had never roasted a spaghetti squash before, nor brussels sprouts, and so was pleasantly surprised by both….they looked so beautiful fresh out the oven that I was almost hesitant to mix them together, wanting instead to enjoy each in it’s own roasty glory. But I had resolved to try a new recipe, so I went ahead and added the broth, onion, basil, pepper flakes. Love. While it was a touch spicy, I enjoyed it a lot. I’ll just make it milder next time, and believe me there will be a next time.
Kruzon
Saphetti squash is so vesatile and easy to work with. Love it.
Michele
This was a great, simple recipe. I added some diced avacado for another layer of flavor!
Kristi Link
I made this last night and it was awesome! Very delicious and easy! I roasted the spaghetti squash the night before and had it waiting in the fridge. When I got it going in the skillet, I had time to make szechuan green beans (modified for less spice, lower salt and no added oil). I had brown rice that had cooked in the crock pot during the day on the side which little lulu grabbed up by the hands-full, alternating with the beans. She was a very happy little girl!