This Spaghetti Squash Recipe uses a walnut and carrot sauce. It’s a nice, light meal, perfect for warm nights.
Are you guys fans of spaghetti squash? Spaghetti squash is sometimes the go-to vegetable replacement for pasta, but it doesn’t always jive with the recipe.
The texture isn’t exactly like pasta, nor is the taste. Most often I find that putting the sauce or vegetables in a pasta dish over a bed of cauliflower rice or quinoa works much better.
Spaghetti squash is a strange animal, but in this recipe, which originally called for angel hair pasta, it works beautifully! It’s made me a fan of spaghetti squash after all, just when I had given up hope for the beast.
I encourage you to give this recipe a try if you’re also on the fence about spaghetti squash. No, it’s not going to taste like spaghetti. Don’t believe the folks who insist that it will. But just because it doesn’t taste like that wonderful carb, doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it.
In fact, you can enjoy it a bit more knowing that it is a vegetable!
You can substitute almonds for the walnuts if you like, and the cheese is optional. It’s a light, meatless dish that will be a great go-to when the weather warms up!
Since spaghetti squash won’t be in season for much longer, you can use zucchini "noodles" in the summer when it’s abundant. Like in my Pesto Zucchini "Spaghetti" recipe.
That zucchini recipe also has bacon, which would be a great addition to this recipe as well. (Duh. It makes everything better!) I also like adding some cooked chicken to this dish when I feel like making this a meat dish.
The hardest part of this recipe is halving the spaghetti squash. That’s why I have you cut it after cooking rather than before. With the flesh softened, your knife will move through it much easier, and keep all your digits intact!
Give this recipe a try tonight!
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Paleo Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole Spaghetti Squash
- 3 medium Carrot roughly chopped
- 2/3 cup Walnuts
- 3 cloves Garlic peeled and quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest grated
- dash Crushed Red Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1/2 cup Raisins
- 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese optional
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash pierces easily with a butter knife and the interior is fully cooked.
- Cut the squash in half and let it cool enough to handle. Scrape out the seeds and "goo" with a spoon; discard. Using a fork, scrape out the squash’s "noodles" into a bowl; set aside.
- Place the carrots, walnuts, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot-nut mixture and the raisins and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots soften and begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the squash, cheese (if using), lemon juice, parsley, and toss. Adjust salt, to taste. Divide among bowls and top with more cheese (if desired).