This vegan stuffed spaghetti squash is the ultimate healthy comfort food! The spaghetti squash is perfectly roasted to reveal it’s tender, spaghetti-like noodles, and filled with a tofu-based garlic cream sauce and plant based sausage crumbles made from hearty lentils, textured vegetable protein (TVP), and walnuts. This is a high-protein vegan meal that is wholesome, nutritious, and delicious!
Why You'll Love This Stuffed Squash
- So much nutrition! Each serving of this stuffed squash has less than 500 calories, but packs in nearly 30% of your daily potassium requirement, which is essential for cardiovascular function and a healthy blood pressure. A serving will also provide 14 grams of fiber, 45% of your iron needs, and 20% of your calcium needs.
- High in plant based protein. This recipe is made using TVP (dried soy protein crumbles), tofu, and lentils to give you 30 grams of plant-based protein in each serving!
- Gluten free. Spaghetti squash noodles replace traditional wheat noodles in this dish for an unprocessed gluten-free pasta replacement.
- Hearty and flavorful! The plant-based sausage crumbles made with lentils, TVP, and walnuts are seasoned with traditional herbs and spices used to make pork sausage, for a super tender and savory vegan sausage substitute that comes together perfectly with the creamy garlic sauce. The combination reminds me of an improved Hamburger Helper!
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash
Making spaghetti squash noodles is easy, just make sure to not over-cook the squash, or it may turn out mushy instead of with a tender noodle-like texture. First, cut off the top of the squash, this will give you an flat surface to safely cut the squash in half lengthwise. Then, scoop out the seeds, rub a tiny bit of oil on the surface and cook in the oven on a baking sheet for 45 minutes at 375 F (190 C). To make the squash noodles, use a fork to gently shred the strands of squash from the skin.
Ingredients for Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Spaghetti squash. I used a medium sized squash to make about 4 servings.
- Dried lentils
- TVP (textured vegetable protein). TVP is dehydrated soy protein crumbles. It has a texture similar to ground meat when rehydrated and soy is the only ingredient, making it a minimally processed plant based protein source. Alternatively, you can use vegan grounds or chopped mushrooms.
- Walnuts. Raw unsalted walnuts are best for this recipe.
- Vegan beef broth. I used a beef-less broth concentrate with water. Any beef-less broth or bouillon will work.
- Soy sauce. For gluten-free, substitute with tamari or coconut aminos.
- Herbs and spices. Including Italian herb blend, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and fennel seed. These spices, especially fennel, are necessary for the sausage-like flavor in the plant-based sausage crumble.
- Tofu. Medium firm tofu or soft (but not silken) tofu work well to make the base for the thick and creamy garlic sauce. Silken tofu will make the sauce too thin.
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Nutritional yeast. This provides a mild cheesy flavor to the creamy garlic sauce, making it similar to alfredo sauce.
- Lemon juice
- Hemp seeds.
How To Make Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Step One – Roast the Spaghetti Squash
Cut the top stem from the squash, then cut it in half lengthwise. Brush a little oil on the surface (optional) and bake at 375 F (190 C) for 45 minutes.
Step Two – Make the Plant Based Sausage Crumbles
While the squash bakes, bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil, add the lentils, and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender, then drain. While the lentils cook, add the TVP and 1/2 cup vegan beef broth to a bowl and set aside to rehydrate (about 5 minutes). It should soak up most of the broth. Once the lentils are cooked and the TVP softened, add them to a non-stick skillet with the walnuts, soy sauce, and spices. Cook for 5-7 minutes, mixing frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step Three – Prepare the Garlic Cream Sauce
To a blender, add the tofu, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and hemp seeds. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt to taste if needed.
Step Four – Stuff the Roasted Squash
After 45 minutes, remove the squash from the oven, and increase the heat setting to 400 F (205 C) It should be tender, but not mushy. Allow it to cool until you’re able to comfortably handle it with your hands. Then, use a fork to gently shred the noodles from the squash. It helps to work from the sides, and shredding inwards, then lengthwise. Spoon 1/2 the lentil mixture onto each half of the squash, mix into the noodles a bit, and drizzle with the cream sauce. Save some cream sauce or serving.
Step Five – Final Bake
Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes. For a golden finish, set the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes.
Equipment Needed
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Baking pan
- Basting brush (optional)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small saucepan (1-3 qt)
- Non-stick skillet
- Spatula
- Mixing bowls
- Blender
Hungry for more delicious vegan recipes? Check out the Rooted Cookbook!
Discover flavorful and easy-to-make vegan recipes from quick weekday breakfasts to wholesome, comforting dinners, and everything in between. All recipes are organized by meal type and made with everyday ingredients to help make your everyday life more fresh and enjoyable!
While this plant-based stuffed squash recipe does take some time and has a few components, each one is totally worth the effort. If you’d like to make this a more convenient recipe, you can choose to use store-bought vegan sausage or crumbles instead of making it, and you can use a store-bought vegan alfredo if you can find it. This would free up your time to do other things while the squash cooks, but if you’re looking for a healthy plant based meal, making all these components yields delicious results!
The final bake of this recipe is where the magic happens! Bringing the sausage crumbles, garlic cream sauce, and tender squash together creates a flavorful and luscious dish that is well worth the time and effort for this recipe.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Storage: Leftovers can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days. For extra cream sauce, store it in a sealed jar or small container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: To reheat, drizzle a little extra sauce over the stuffed squash and heat in the microwave in 30-45 second intervals until hot. If you prefer not to use a microwave, it can be reheated in the oven.
Love squash recipes? Try these next:
Whether you’re cooking for Veganuary, trying out more meatless dinners, or simply craving a cozy plant-based recipe, this vegan stuffed spaghetti squash is sure to be a winner! This dairy-free stuffed squash recipe is a delicious meal that seriously delivers on nutrition and flavor, so add it to your weekly rotation or save it for a warming meal to enjoy seasonally in the Fall and Winter months.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment below to help support this blog and help others find these tasty vegan recipes. Follow @RootyFruityVegan on social media for more plant based meal ideas!
Vegan Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Total Time: 1 hour + 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This stuffed spaghetti squash recipe is a wholesome vegan meal loaded with plant-based sausage crumbles and a creamy garlic sauce. Whether you’re looking for a cozy seasonal dinner or a healthy family meal, this recipe will check all the boxes!
Ingredients
For the Roasted Squash
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
For the Plant Based Sausage Crumble
- 1/4 cup dry lentils
- 1/2 cup Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
- 1/2 cup vegan beef-less broth
- 1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped (Tip: wet the seeds with a bit of water to keep them in place while chopping)
For the Garlic Cream Sauce
- 8 oz (1/2 block) medium firm tofu
- 3 Tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Roast the Spaghetti Squash: Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Cut the top stem from the squash, then cut it in half lengthwise. Brush 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil on the surface (optional) and bake for 45 minutes.
- Cook the lentils: While the squash bakes, add the lentils to a small saucepan with 3/4 cups of water. Cover and cook on a low boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Rehydrate the TVP: While the lentils cook, mix the vegan beefless broth with the TVP in a bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the TVP absorbs the broth.
- Make the Sausage Crumble: Once the lentils are cooked and the TVP softened, add them to a non-stick skillet with the walnuts, soy sauce, and spices. Cook for 5-7 minutes, mixing frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Garlic Cream Sauce: To a blender, add the tofu, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and hemp seeds. Blend until smooth. If it is too thick to blend, add a couple tablespoons of non-dairy milk until it blends easier. Adjust salt to taste if needed.
- Stuff the roasted squash: After 45 minutes, remove the squash from the oven, and increase the heat setting to 400 F (205 C). The squash should be fork-tender. Allow it to cool until you’re able to comfortably handle it with your hands. Then, use a fork to gently shred the noodles from the squash. It helps to work from the sides, and shredding inwards, then lengthwise. Spoon 1/2 the Sausage Crumble mixture onto each half of the squash, mix into the noodles a bit, and drizzle with the Garlic Cream Sauce. Save some sauce or serving.
- Final Bake: Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes for the sauce to cook and the flavors to combine. For a golden finish, set the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days. For extra cream sauce, store it in a sealed jar or small container for up to 5 days.
Reheating: To reheat, drizzle a little extra sauce over the stuffed squash and heat in the microwave in 30-45 second intervals until hot. If you prefer not to use a microwave, it can be reheated in the oven.
Nutrition
- Calories: 455
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
