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Southwest Stuffed Spaghetti Squash is a healthy dinner idea that’s loaded with flavor. Featuring black beans and diced tomatoes, it’s easy to assemble, and is a delicious alternative to other spaghetti squash recipes.
Why You’ll Love It
It tastes amazing. Spaghetti squash can taste a little bland on its own, but when you add in spices like cumin, garlic, and salt, it becomes a dish you’ll crave.
It’s easy to customize. This recipe is vegetarian as written, but you can easily add extra protein to make it more filling. Try adding in leftover rotisserie chicken, or cooked turkey or pork, when it’s time to stir in the other ingredients. If you need a dairy-free recipe, simply skip the cheese on top, or use your favorite vegan alternative, like my Vegan Nacho Cheese sauce.
It’s nourishing. Spaghetti squash is a great source of antioxidants, and when you add in the black beans, you’ll get extra fiber and plant-based protein in each bite.
It uses pantry staples. If you keep canned beans and diced tomatoes in your pantry, this recipe is easy to throw together on a busy weeknight. You could also swap these ingredients for marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, or Parmesan cheese, and add in a little Italian sausage if you like, for more of an Italian-style meal, without the pasta.
Ingredients You’ll Need
When shopping for spaghetti squash, look for one that has a vibrant yellow shell, rather than a pale one that might not be fully ripe yet.
If you want to add extra veggies to this dish, you can also saute an onion and bell pepper in a little olive oil in a large skillet, while you wait for the spaghetti squash to roast in the oven. This will give it more of a fajita-like flare!
How to Make Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
1. Cook the squash.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and use a sharp knife to cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. It will be the easiest to start the knife in the center of the squash, where it’s the most hollow, then carefully work your way to the ends of the squash, where it will be more dense to cut.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then drizzle a little olive oil into each half and rub it around the edges. Arrange the squash halves cut-side-down on a rimmed baking sheet, then bake it in the preheated oven until it’s tender, about 45 to 60 minutes.
You can test the squash for tenderness by piercing the outer shell with a fork. It should easily slide in and out of the shell when it’s tender. Alternatively, you can use an oven mitt to squeeze the outer shell. When it gives easily under pressure, you’ll know it’s ready to use.
2. Add the fillings.
When the squash is done roasting, set the pan aside to cool briefly. In a large bowl, combine the drained tomatoes, black beans, cumin, garlic powder, and green onions.
Use an oven mitt to handle the hot spaghetti squash, and use a fork to scrape the squash strands into the bowl from each half. Season with salt, and then stir well to make sure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
3. Bake.
Scoop the mixture back into the two squash shells, dividing the filling evenly. Arrange the spaghetti squash boats (filling side up) on the rimmed baking sheet, and sprinkle the tops with the shredded cheese.
Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the filling is piping hot.
4. Enjoy!
Remove the pan from the oven and let the squash cool briefly before serving. You can garnish it with any toppings you like, such as extra green onions or cilantro, or add a dollop of sour cream, pico de gallo, or guacamole on top.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking the squash with the cut-side facing down prevents it from drying out, but also allows excess moisture to drain from the squash without pooling the middle. You’ll flip the squash later to cook cut-side up once you add the fillings, to make individual serving bowls. (They are quite generous portions, though!)
Check for brown or soft spots in the outer shell. A good squash will have a dark yellow color without any soft spots or signs of mold, and it should feel heavy for its size.
This squash has a relatively mild flavor, so it will blend in to any sauce and seasonings you use. It can lean a little on the sweet side, so be sure to use plenty of salt to balance that out. You can also add a dash of red pepper flakes to the mix, if you’d like a little more of a spicy kick.
Yes, spaghetti squash is naturally gluten-free and makes a great alternative to spaghetti and other pasta varieties.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) spaghetti squash
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies , drained
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans , drained & rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin , minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt , or to taste
- ¾ cup shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the center. Place the squash cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in the oven until the shell is easily pierced with a fork, about 45 to 60 minutes. A brown spot should develop on the outside of the skin as it cooks.
- When the squash is done cooking, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool briefly. In a large bowl, combine the drained tomatoes, black beans, cumin, garlic powder, and green onions. Use an oven mitt to handle the hot spaghetti squash, and use a fork to scrape the squash strands into the bowl from each half. Season with the salt, and then stir well, to make sure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Scoop the mixture back into the two squash shells, dividing the filling evenly. Arrange the spaghetti squash boats (filling side up) on the rimmed baking sheet, and sprinkle the tops with the shredded cheese. Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the filling is piping hot.
- Serve warm, with any additional toppings you love, such as diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, or extra green onions. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these Southwest stuffed spaghetti squash boats, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.
Did you delete the original? The “update” note doesn’t link anywhere, and I had absolutely loved it
Sorry, I just added the link and you can find the original here: https://detoxinista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Spaghetti-Squash-Enchilada-Boats-Grain-free-Detoxinista.pdf
Hey Megan – can you please hyperlink to the old recipe? I’m curious to see it. Having said that, I made this today with the updated recipe (April 2023) and it was FABULOUS. I thought nothing could top the lentil/marinara stuffed spaghetti squash, but this takes the cake. It was amazing! Thank you for such a stellar recipe!
I have never had squash how do you cook it? Is it like spaghetti ? Thank You. I will be having gastric sleeve in January and need some good recipes.
I cook mine in the Instant Pot using this method because it’s so fast: https://detoxinista.com/spaghetti-squash-in-the-instant-pot/ But there are also oven directions here: https://detoxinista.com/cheezy-buttered-noodles/
This was delicious! I added ground turkey and omitted the goat cheese. It was excellent. We served with sour cream and shredded cheese. This was a great meal!
I just made a close version of this using ingredients I had on hand too. (We had a smoked pepper cheddar that blended well; we had plain tomatoes but not tomatoes with chilies, so I added fresh cilantro and jalapeno to the blender mix.)
Having never made this before I learned a few things:
–The exact ratios do work, but when stuffing the boats I thought I had too much stuffing.
–Using the exact ratios, this feeds more like 3-4 and not 2, as these squashes are huuuuuge. (I think mine was 4 lb and not the 3 lb in the recipe.)
–I could’ve easily doubled the spinach and appreciated it more.
–We served with fresh sliced avocados. We also used more like 3-4 oz. of cheese and mixed through rather than just sprinkling on top.
Because I thought the squash insides were too much I still have a lot; tomorrow I may toss with plain tomatoes again and some more italian flavors and see what happens.
And I meant to add that my husband suggested he’d prefer it with beans. He likes beans better than I do, so HE can make it with beans, I say, as the house chef. :]
This recipe is delicious!! My husband wanted meat in it so I added taco meat and we omitted the cheese since we can’t tolerate dairy.
Question – would the spaghetti squash freeze and be able okay to use when thawed?
I have frozen spaghetti squash different times. You might have to remove some water but great to keep on hand!
HUGE hit at my house. I added some crushed red pepper flakes. YUM!
I made this for dinner last night and it was beyond easy and delicious! My husband was disappointed I only made 2 servings. I have yet to find a recipe on this blog that isn’t a hit at home! Thank you, for your research, recipes, time, energy and amazing taste buds, Detoxinista!
I accidentally bought butternut squash instead of spaghetti even though I use all squash often and am familiar with it! I went for it anyways, and put it in a casserole dish. I topped it with regular goat cheese sliced into medallions and I also mixed in some marinated spicy chicken for my husband who needs meat. I then topped with sliced fresh avocado and green onion! Thanks! I really loves spaghetti squash and will make it again the way it was intended. Delicious recipes as always!
Do you have the nutritional information available for this recipe?
I don’t, but you can calculate any numbers you need using a free website like MyFitnessPal.com or FitDay.com.