Cheesy Vegan Spaghetti Squash!
The best part of the holidays is obviously the food. Or wait maybe it’s the drinks. Also it could be the subpar holidays specials OR Mariah Carrey’s iconic 1994 Christmas Album.
Wow there are so many best parts.
But the FOOD. Holiday food is comforting and warm and cozy, so here’s a yummy recipe for all of you sweeties out there that eat vegan, or try to avoid dairy, or just like trying something new: Cheesy Vegan Spaghetti Squash. This is basically the perfect side dish, or base for your favorite meatballs (or vegan meatballs). We’re using nutritional yeast to get the cheesy effect without any actual cheese and pine nuts for a rich buttery texture. The result is a dish that feels like everything you want in the winter, but still light and healthy.
If you’re new to nutritional yeast, here’s the deal: it’s a deactivated yeast with a powerful cheesy nutty flavor and a ton of B vitamins. It’s been popular among the vegetarian & vegan crowds for a very very long time, and in recent years we’ve seen it popping up everywhere. It’s yummy, good for you, and also inexpensive. Win win win. This one we’re using comes from our partners for this post, Bob’s Red Mill.
Check out the recipe below, and let us know what you think!
Cheesy Vegan Spaghetti Squash
serves 2-4 as a side & takes 1 hour & costs about $10
2 small spaghetti squash ( about 2 lb each)
Pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil + 1/2 cup olive oil, separate
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/3 cup nutritional yeast from Bob’s Red Mill
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Pine nuts and fresh basil for garnish
The flow of this recipe is easy as heck: we’re starting off by getting our little spaghetti squash babies in the oven to roast for 45 minutes, and while they’re busy doing their thing we’re gonna throw together our cheesy nutritional yeast sauce. Then, once the squash is done, we’re gonna mix it all together, cover it in basil and pine nuts, and eat it all up.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a sharp knife, cut each squash in half lengthwise (see photos for reference). Use a fork to remove the seeds, and discard. Rub the pinch of sea salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the flesh of each squash, and place cut side up on your baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the center of the squash without much effort. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before following the instructions in step No. 3.
While the squash roasts, we’re making the sauce! In a food processor or blender, combine the 1/2 cup olive oil, water, pine nuts, and garlic and blend to combine. A few small chunks is fine, but overall you want it to be smooth. Add the paprika, horseradish, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper and pulse a few times just to combine. Transfer sauce to a saucepan and bring to a simmer, just to get it warm.
Once your squash is done and has cooled enough for you to touch it, gently scraping the flesh of the squash to release the stringy “spaghetti” pieces. Transfer the “spaghetti” to a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce to coat evenly.
Transfer to your serving bowl or plate and top with fresh basil and pine nuts. Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. We love using Bob’s Red Mill in much of our baking and cooking, and have always found their diverse selections of natural and alternative flours and foods to be perfect for when we’re baking gluten free, making vegan goodies, or just looking to keep our diet as clean as possible. As always, all opinions are our own!
xoxo
Beau and Matt