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.
Southwest Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
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.
I know it sounds crazy, but I have 6 spaghetti squash sitting in my garage right now. I bought them for 75 Cents a piece at a roadside stand because I can’t turn down a good deal. So needless to say, I’m excited about this recipe because I have to start using them. I usually just bake and eat, or use them as pasta (I know, I’m boring). So I absolutely love your boats. They’re fun and flexible.
My go to meal is sadly to say McDonalds SouthWest Salad when I’m in a huge pinch or those already cooked rotisserie chickens from the grocery store. The Chipotle flavored ones. If I have to cook with what I have in the house, I’m usually in huge trouble because I’m probably so short on groceries that there’s not much to make so we turn to peanut butter!
Great idea for spaghetti squash! I usually just roast mine whole at 400 until able to pierce, let cool, then scrape out the seeds and squash. It’s easier for me to do that instead of cutting the cold squash in half. My go to meal when I’m low on groceries is brown rice topped with whatever veggies or can of beans I have left.
These are perfect and super convenient! Sometimes the best recipes come from being low on ingredients. Love everything about this!
oh I love the verso tilbury of spaghetti squash! Don’t you love when recipes like this work out? Using the squash bowls makes a stellar presentation! Thanks for sharing
Sounds and looks yummy! Can you suggest a good substitute for the cheese? My daughter can’t eat dairy, and it would probably still be good without cheese, but I’d like to try something else, if possible. Thanks!
Megan has a recipe for a dairy-free parmesan cheese topping that might be a good option for you to try if your daughter can have cashews. I haven’t made it yet, but it sounds pretty awesome!
https://detoxinista.com/2013/10/cashew-parmesan-vegan-paleo/
I am lactose intolerant as well and the best substitute cheese I have found is Daiya. It is the only dairy free cheese made without soy (that I have available in my area). Honestly, it is the best tasting too. It melts and stretches just like cheese. http://us.daiyafoods.com/
Do you have a Whole Foods market or similar close by? Daiya cheese is good & is dairy free & it melts! It comes in a hangable bag cheddar, mozzarella or pepper jack.
YES! Daiya vegan cheese. Don’t put in on the top though, I would put it near the bottom to melt properly… the mozzarella is my favorite and the cheddar is ok too. It turns into a cheese sauce from heaven! http://us.daiyafoods.com/
Try nutritional yeast – very good!
Will your daughter tolerate soya cheese? Not the greatest, but it has some cheese-like properties.
I just made a variant of this last week, with homemade tomato sauce and sweet sausage topped with fresh mozzarella. Grain Free lasagna! Kind of. Delicious though! Vegetarians or vegans can just make a super chunky tomato sauce with lots of fresh basil for an italian treat )
Sometimes our go to meal when low on groceries is eggs & turkey sausage or chicken sausage. I usually try to keep one of these in freezer & usually have eggs. If we have a can of soup it’s soup & salad. I like to make my soups but have those on hand as backups and if sick (which is rare but it happens). Another meal I have had as a backup is your wonderful curry veggie over quinoa which is so good. My husband seemed to have an intolerance to quinoa at one point so we haven’t had as much & I didn’t have another substitute on hand. But I buy organic frozen veggies & can have all the other ingredients on hand. Love this. Thanks for the new recipe – it looks great!
Would this dish freeze after cooking, then reheat well?
Delicious and healthy! I have never done squash boats. maybe I should make someday:)
These sound delicious! I love warm and comforting meals like this in the winter! Isn’t it the best when great recipes happen unexpectedly? 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner. Very tasty! I did swap out the spinach for leftover taco meat, just to use it up, and omitted the cheese. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve just learned that you can throw spaghetti squash in the crock pot. And since I’ve only just discovered using a crock pot to cook anything. This sounds exciting to me. And this recipe looks totally amaze-balls!
These were amazing. My daughter wasn’t so sure about them, but after she started eating them, she said it was the best dinner she had eaten in a while!! Thank you for another great recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing! Made this tonight and it was delicious. Totally satisfying for a Mexican craving!
I try to eat super healthy and my boyfriend can eat whatever he wants – which typically results in me making 2 variations of dinner each night. But last night, he asked for a portion of these and loved it! Maybe there is hope!
Was amazing…
made these for lunch, but used pink beans since i had no spinach. this was super filling and unbelievably delicious!!!
my go to is pantry soup. with beans and spices there is almost always a way to make a tasty soup. 🙂
I made this tonight w/ post Thanksgiving day white turkey meat_, I substitued the canned roasted tomatoe w/left over 1/4 jar (3oz) mushroom marinara sauce and included truffle oil at the very end. Quite yummers….
I made this tonight for dinner. I used vegan cheese instead. It was delicious and the whole family loved it!
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.
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!
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!
HUGE hit at my house. I added some crushed red pepper flakes. YUM!
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!
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 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 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/
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!
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