These Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats are super healthy and ready in just 30 minutes. Filled with a vegan bolognese sauce and topped with vegan cheese!
I was recently interviewed for a Podcast and one of the food-related questions was, “What is your favorite cuisine?”
Hands down, my answer is and always will be: Italian food.
Give me a big bowl of pasta with a chunky tomato sauce and some fresh basil and I'm a happy camper. There's nothing more comforting to me than a simple, tomato-based dish.
But in all honesty, sometimes I'm just not feeling a super carb-heavy and grain-heavy meal. I find if I have too many dinners like that I feel weighed down, bloated and puffy.
Which is precisely why I am so pumped it's spaghetti squash season!
What's great about spaghetti squash, aside from the fact it's a wonderful grain-free pasta alternative, is that it's actually quite simple to make. All you have to do is slice it in half and bake it for about 20 minutes and you're done!
In fact, these vegetarian spaghetti squash boats take just 30 minutes to make, is packed with protein and is SO cozy!
Just like with most incredible Italian pasta recipes, the real secret to this heart-warming dish is the sauce.
I've made riffs on this red lentil bolognese before, but the main difference here is the tomatoes.
I'm sure you've heard me talk about Tuttorosso Tomatoes before, and I'm so excited to be partnering with them again in today's post because their tomatoes are hands down the BEST canned tomatoes I've ever tasted. Not only do they actually look like tomatoes when you open the can (unlike others that are a soggy, soupy mess), but I've actually seen first-hand how they are packed and shipped.
Their tomatoes are family farmed, have no additives, preservatives, colors or flavorings, they are all non-GMO, and their cans are 100% recycled with non-BPA linings.
And guess what? The flavor is like they were picked right off the vine! (<– because they actually are!)
We are using Tuttorosso's diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic in this recipe because the consistency makes for the absolute perfect chunky tomato sauce.
We just add the tomatoes, lentils, some hummus, herbs, nutritional yeast and water into a pan, and let it bubble on the stove while the squash is roasting.
Once the squash is done, scoop out the seeds, flip it over, fill them with sauce, sprinkle with some (vegan) cheese, bake for another 5 mins and bingo.
Dinner on the table in under 30 minutes!
These vegetarian spaghetti squash boats make for one delicious plant-based meal. They're high in protein, have zero grains and a healthy dose of fiber to help keep you full!
Making these for leftovers? No problemo!
The boats will stay good in the fridge for at least 4 days and can be reheated in the microwave or stove. Alternatively, you can also freeze these bad boys and pull them out whenever you need a quick meal!
Want more cozy tomato recipes to try this winter? You should definitely give my Creamy Italian Quinoa Stew and my Healthy Quinoa Minestrone a go. Both are veggie-packed and seriously tasty!
If you end up making this recipe, I'd love to see a pic ❤️ you can tag me on Instagram using @simplyquinoa or #simplyquinoa so I can easily find your photo and give you some love in return!
More Cozy Tomato Recipes To Try:
- Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup
- Spring Vegetable Quinoa Minestrone
- Quinoa + Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash
- One-Pot Italian Quinoa with Tomatoes & Basil
- Quick & Healthy Tomato Bisque
- Quinoa Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce
30-Minute Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- 2 cans Tuttorosso Diced Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1/2 cup hummus flavor of choice
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup water
- 1 package shredded vegan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise and put them face down in a baking dish. Add enough water to cover the squash by 1/4". Roast squash for 20 minutes.
- While the squash is cooking, add the remaining ingredients (minus the cheese) into a saucepan. Start with just 1/2 cup of water and add more as needed. Bring the pot to boil, then reduce and simmer until thickened, about 10 - 15 minutes.
- Once squash is done roasting, remove from oven, flip over and scoop out the seeds. Fill each squash half with about 1 cup of sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Place the squash back into the oven and turn the oven to broil. Broil for 2 - 3 minutes, watching carefully so the cheese doesn't burn.
- Remove and serve immediately!
Nutrition
Filed Under:
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Tuttorosso Tomatoes. As always, all opinions are my own. I only share companies I love and trust, so thank you for continuing to support Simply Quinoa!
New to cooking quinoa? Grab your FREE Quinoa Starter Guide!
Become part of the Simply Quinoa community and receive weekly emails with exclusive content that I only share in email, as well as my in-depth guide to starting your quinoa journey.
Pingback: 19 Vegetarian Lunches That Even Your Kids Will Love
I was wondering what size can of tomatoes is used.btje picture is 14.5oz, but when I go to the link to order the tomatoes a 28 oz can comes up
It should be 14.5 oz. We’ll update!
We enjoyed this meal enough to make it again. 🙂 We are perplexed though by the amount of Total Fat that you have indicated in the Nutritional facts. It doesn’t seem to add up to us.
Can you elaborate on that please?
Thank you!
These numbers pull from a database, so it’s a bit based on the actual ingredients you use. I’m guessing that number is higher because of the cheese, but if you’re using one that is lower in fat, that number will be far lower!
Italian food is amazing, though I think my favorite cuisine is Mexican. it’s hard to choose, though! Yum!
I agree! Those two are definitely my favorites 🙂