Spaghetti Squash Bake with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Published: Dec 22, 2020 by Richa 48 Comments

This easy vegan Spaghetti Squash Bake is a tasty Italian-inspired healthy, low carb, pasta-like casserole dish that everyone will absolutely love. Cooked spaghetti squash is combined with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, all baked until golden and bubbly.

Spaghetti Squash is a winter veggie favorite! These miracle squashes naturally grow in such a way that, once cooked, their insides will pull apart in long, spaghetti-like strands. Thanks, Mother Nature!

The long squash strands are tender enough that you can twirl them around your fork and they have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that makes them great for serving with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce like in this spaghetti squash bake recipe.

An Italian-inspired “pasta” bake that features cooked spaghetti squash, garlic, and spinach all smothered in a perfectly creamy and cheesy dairy-free sun dried tomato sauce and baked until bubbly and golden. SO good! I like to prepare my spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot but in a second I will also explain how to cook it in the microwave.
Serve this easy casserole alongside a simple green salad or vegan caesar salad and some crusty bread for the perfect weeknight meal!

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4.85 from 20 votes

Spaghetti Squash Bake with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

This easy vegan Spaghetti Squash Bake is an Italian-inspired healthy, low carb, pasta-like casserole dish that everyone will absolutely love. Cooked spaghetti squash is combined with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, all baked until golden and bubbly.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Spaghetti squash casserole, vegan spaghetti squash bake

Servings: 6

Calories: 121kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash
3 cloves minced garlic
3-4 ounces (85.05 g) chopped spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce:

7 oz (198.45 g) silken tofu or firm tofu
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano basil and thyme or use 1 ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoon sundried tomato
2 Tbsps nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup (295.74 ml) non dairy milk
2 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch

Garnish:

fresh basil or herbs, pepper flakes, vegan Parmesan or breadcrumbs

Instructions

Cook the spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot: Place the spaghetti squash on a trivet, add 1 ½ cups of water to the inner pot, then lower into the instant pot. Close the lid, and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Carefully lift out the trivet with the spaghetti squash from the instant pot. Let the squash cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice open. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. The squash will be well cooked and soft at this point. You can convert it into noodles using a fork by pulling the fork through the squash, from the end to the top. The longer the stroke, the longer noodles you'll get. Set the noodles aside.
Sun dried tomato Sauce: Blend all the ingredients for the sundried tomato cream sauce until well blended. Blend for a minute, let it sit for a few minutes so the sundried tomato can rehydrate, then blend again until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Assemble your squash bake:

Oil the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish.
Add all of the spaghetti squash, garlic, and spinach, then pour in the tomato cream sauce, and toss well so that it is mixed in. Top the sauce with some pepper flakes and some vegan mozzarella (optional), and bake at 400 degrees F (205 C) for 25 minutes until the edges are golden, and the sauce is bubbly. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs and vegan parm. You can also add some bread crumbs before baking so that you get a toasted bread crumb topping.

Notes

Soy-free: use ¾ cup raw cashews instead. Soak for atleast 30 mins in hot water then blend with ½ cup water and the rest of the sauce ingredients
Use regular pasta if you don’t have spaghetti squash. Use 8 oz , cook according to instructions on package, drain and mix with sauce. Top with vegan cheese and breadcrumbs and bake
If you don't have an instant pot, you can cook the squash in your microwave. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds, then just flip it upside down in a microwave-proof baking dish, fill it with about an inch of water, and microwave until soft. This usually takes another 7 - 10 minutes, depending on the size of the squash and your microwave.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Spaghetti Squash Bake with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 121 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 0.8g5%

Sodium 309mg13%

Potassium 454mg13%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 1544IU31%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 129mg13%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Please do leave a comment and rating below.. Tag me on Instagram @veganricha

Ingredients:

You obviously need a Spaghetti Squash – 1 medium sized one serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side.
The only other veggie additions are 3 cloves minced garlic and some chopped spinach. You can use fresh or frozen.
For the Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce, we blend some tofu with olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, non-dairy milk, and cornstarch. You can use firm or silken tofu here but silken makes for a smoother sauce.
For the Italian flair, we add some garlic powder, onion powder, basil, and thyme or Italian seasoning
Nutritional yeast serves as a vegan stand-in for cheese in the sauce.

Tips & Substitutions:

You don’t need to cut it if making in the Instant pot. If it doesn’t fit or if you’re planning to cook it some other way then To safely cut spaghetti squash, you need a heavy chef’s knife and a towel to keep it steady as you cut as well as to protect your hand should you slip. Then you obviously need some muscle power. Cut the squash from stem to end, but please don’t try to cut through the stem – it’s too hard and might chip your knife. When you’ve cut through the squash, pull each half apart.
If you’re having trouble cutting a squash open, score it with a knife and microwave it for a few minutes – not too long or it will explode. It should cut in half much easier after that.
When using the Instant Pot for preparing the squash, note that natural release makes for neater “spaghetti” – quick release sometimes damages the structure of the “noodles”.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can cook the squash in your microwave. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds, then just flip it upside down in a microwave-proof baking dish, fill it with about an inch of water, and microwave until soft. This usually takes another 7 – 10 minutes, depending on the size of the squash and your microwave.

How to make Vegan Spaghetti Squash Bake:

Cook the spaghetti squash in the instant pot. Place the spaghetti squash on a trivet, add 1 ½ cups of water to the inner pot, then lower into the instant pot. Close the lid, and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Carefully lift out the trivet with the spaghetti squash from the instant pot. Let the squash cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice open. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. The squash will be well cooked and soft at this point. You can convert it into noodles using a fork by pulling the fork through the squash, from the end to the top. The longer the stroke, the longer noodles you’ll get. Set the noodles aside.

Blend all the ingredients for sundried tomato cream sauce until well blended. Blend for a minute, let it sit for a few minutes so the sundried tomato can rehydrate, then blend again until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Oil the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish. Add all of the spaghetti squash and add in all of your garlic and spinach

Pour in the tomato cream sauce, and toss well so that it is mixed in.

Top the sauce with some pepper flakes, and bake at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden, and the sauce is bubbly.

Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before serving. You can also add some bread crumbs before baking so that you get a toasted bread crumb topping, along with salt, or an Italian blend.

Spaghetti Squash Bake Make-Ahead Tips:

This spaghetti squash bake is so easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time. You can cook the squash days before you plan on making the casserole, using your preferred method. Cook the squash, then let it cool and store the noodles in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make the sauce a day or so in advance and just quickly assemble everything when it’s time for eating.

Spaghetti Squash Bake with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

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