This vegan meat stuffed spaghetti squash is perfect for fall weeknight meals or can present perfectly for holiday main dishes!
If you have never made a spaghetti squash, then you are truly missing out! No need to fret though, this vegan meat stuffed spaghetti squash is the perfect opportunity to give it a go.
Whether you are looking for an easy weeknight meal for the family, or you are looking for a new dish to serve to friends and/or family for the holidays, this vegan dinner idea will be the perfect opportunity to show off!
This recipe is low in calories and carbs, but the flavor impact is out of this world.
You will absolutely love diving into each and every bite!
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Why You’ll Love This Dish
Flavorful
Each part of this dish is seasoned on it’s own making sure that optimal flavor is achieved.
When you combine the roasted spaghetti squash with this homemade vegan meat sauce, you will absolutely love how it all comes together!
Nutritious
Spaghetti squash is a great neutral base and alternative to wheat based pasta. It’s also low in calories and carbs for those looking for that as well.
Spaghetti squash also is a great source of fiber and vitamins and minerals as well.
When you pair that with the health benefits of making your own vegan meat sauce with tomatoes and textured vegetable protein, then you have yourself a true winner in both flavor and nutritional benefits.
Vegan Meat Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Ingredients:
Gather your ingredients!
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make vegan dish:
- Spaghetti Squash – this is our main component of this recipe. Spaghetti squash are great when in season for budgeting as you get a lot of food for the price. When roasted, the squash peels away from the skin and flakes into a spaghetti like texture.
- Garlic, Onions, and Peppers – our aromatics for the bean portion of the dish starts adding our flavor right away
- Olive Oil – we are using oil to help with the roasting of the squash and also for the richness when sauteing the vegetables
- Spices – we are using a variety of spices for both the cauliflower and beans in order to take our flavor to the next level- you’ll need salt, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, fennel seeds, onion powder for this recipe
- San Marzano tomatoes – have a thicker tomato based and less seeds than other plum tomato counterparts. They are also less acidic. These things combined help to give a thicker sauce consistency that’s also sweeter and makes for a delicious combination with the rest of our ingredients
- Hot Sauce – if you’ve never added spice to your spaghetti then you are missing out! Just a little goes a long way, but you can add as much or little as you desire
- Vegan Pesto – we’re making a homemade pesto with basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon, salt and olive oil. The herby and saltiness of the pesto pairs perfectly to bring the dish together
- Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) – this is our protein for the dish. TVP is a soy based ingredient that when rehydrated, seasoned, and cooked mimics ground meat crumbles
- Fresh Basil – this is a simple and easy way to really elevate our dish to the next level
- Vegan Mozzarella – we absolutely love a cheesy component to this dish and added at the last minute under the broiler for a few taste the dish up a few notches in the flavor department
Substitutions and Variations:
- Spaghetti Squash – instead of spaghetti squash you could put the sauce over traditional pasta or make zoodles with zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potatoes and more!
- Onions – Sweet Onions could be replaced with yellow or white onions or even shallots
- Spices – salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes can be lessened or more added to taste
- San Marzano tomatoes – you can use other canned tomatoes as well like fired roasted, or whole tomatoes that aren’t specifically San Marzano
- Hot Sauce – You can omit or add as much or little as you desire. If your family is split between liking hot sauce or not, we recommend omitting and leaving a bottle at the table. It really does heighten the dish when cooked together, but
- Vegan Pesto – you can also use store made pesto for a quicker option or swap with something else like a roasted red pepper hummus. Alternatively, you can swap the basil with spinach or parsley or do half and half of a combination of the three. Pine nuts can be subbed with walnuts, cashews, or sunflower seeds.
- Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) – TVP could be substituted with a variety of other ingredients like vegan meatless crumbles, soy curls, lentils, tofu crumbles, or whole foods like crumbles cauliflower, mushrooms, and more! If you don’t want a “meat” based sauce, you can omit the TVP and any substitutions entirely
- Fresh Basil – dried basil would work in a pinch but you will loose some of that freshness
- Vegan Mozzarella – cheese can be omitted or you could swap with a vegan cheddar or other variety. You could also use some nutritional yeast if you are looking for less processed.
- Vegetable Stock – if you feel like your sauce is too thick, you could thin out with some stock if needed
Step by Step Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425˚F (218˚C).
In a small bowl, you’ll combined dehydrated TVP (textured vegetable protein) and vegetable stock together so it will rehydrate.
Then, place your cut and seeded squash on a parchment lined baking sheet.
On each half of your squash, you’ll drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil. Then, use a pastry brush to evenly coat.
Add 2 whole garlic cloves to the inside of the squash and sprinkle evenly with oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (these are optional).
You can always add more or less spices to taste.
You’ll want to place your squash cut side down (with garlic cloves underneath) and bake for 40-50 minutes. The edges should begin to become caramelized.
While your squash is cooking, into a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, hot sauce, oregano, smoked paprika, fennel, seeds, and onion powder.
Pulse till combined and the sauce is slightly chunky, about 1 minute. If you don’t want chunky sauce you can let it go until smooth.
Next, over medium heat, add oil to a large skillet. Add in your onions and peppers and saute for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
Add in the hydrated TVP, stir together, and cook for 3-5 more minutes. Add blended tomato sauce and stir together. Allow to continue to cook until heated through. Stir in pesto and fresh basil. Remove from heat.
Once squash has been removed from oven, allow to cool for 5-7 minutes. Flip flesh side up and carefully use a fork to smash the softened garlic cloves into the squash.
Use a fork to pull the squash away from the skin and resemble a pasta like texture. Fill with the sauce mixture. If using, sprinkle non-dairy cheese evenly over the squash and return to oven until broil until melted, careful not to burn.
Garnish with more fresh basil if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Swap the pine nuts in the pesto for sunflower seeds. And use something like cauliflower or mushrooms for the TVP. Otherwise, this dish is Top 9 Allergen free.
This dish is ideally best right away. However, once cooled completely, you can store in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes. You’ll need to use two sheet pans to cook more spaghetti squash, but you can all the other ingredients. Make sure your pot is big enough for doubling the sauce.
We wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish.
What other vegan sides could I make with this dish?
If you love this vegan recipe, you’ll love it even more with one of these bread dishes on the side:
- Vegan Garlic Knots
- Vegan Maple Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits
- Vegan Chimichurri Monkey Bread
- Vegan Artisan Bread
- Vegan Focaccia
- Vegan Naan
- Vegan Breadsticks
Pin this Vegan Meat Stuffed Spaghetti Squash!
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Vegan Meat Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP), dehydrated
- ¾ cup vegetable stock (sub with water)
- 2 large spaghetti squash, halved length wise, deseeded
- 8 cloves garlic
- 6 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano, more or less to taste, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
- 2-3 teaspoon hot sauce, more or less to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup vegan pesto (see notes for homemade version)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (more for garnish if desired)
- 8 oz non-dairy mozzarella, optional (or homemade cheese sauce linked in notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F (218˚C). In a small bowl, combined TVP and stock together and set aside to hydrate. Place cut and seeded spaghetti squash on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil over each half of squash and brush with a pastry brush to evenly coat. Add 2 whole garlic cloves to the inside of the squash. Sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon oregano, and all the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add more or less spices to taste. Place cut side down (with garlic cloves underneath). Bake for 40-50 minutes. The edges should begin to become caramelized.
- To a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, hot sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, smoked paprika, fennel, seeds, and onion powder. Pulse till combined and the sauce is slightly chunky, about 1 minute.*
- Over medium heat, add remaining 2 tablespoon oil to a large skillet. Add onions and peppers. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add hydrated TVP, stir together, and cook for 3-5 more minutes. Add blended tomato sauce and stir together. Allow to continue to cook until heated through. Stir in pesto and fresh basil. Remove from heat.
- Once squash has been removed from oven, allow to cool for 5-7 minutes. Flip flesh side up and carefully use a fork to smash the softened garlic cloves into the squash. Use a fork to pull the squash away from the skin and resemble a pasta like texture. Fill with the sauce mixture. If using, sprinkle non-dairy cheese evenly over the squash and return to oven until broil until melted, careful not to burn. Garnish with more fresh basil if desired.
Katherine
I have to admit that I strayed from being vegan for about a year or so…. Your recipes and videos have gotten me excited about getting back on track.
Loved this recipe. The filling has so much depth of flavor and is easy to make. I bet I can serve this to non-vegans, as long as I don’t announce it first.
@kamathisen
Larisha Bernard
That’s wonderful! So glad to hear that
Dorothy
This was definitely a winner for our family. Especially because I can prep things ahead and then be present when the kids come home from school.
I’ll admit that I was lazy and used a prepared sauce.
I also used TVP I had prepared before (that I make ahead and freeze)
All in all, quick and delicious with minimal prep. Kids gobbled it down and loved the presentation of their dinner in a “bowl”
Thank you!!
Larisha Bernard
Love that! And your hacks!
Amy
So good!! I love spaghetti squash but it was always seemed like a poor sub for pasta. Not a problem with this recipe. Depth of flavor achieved. I was able to save and eat the other half the next day.
LarishaBernard
So glad we were able to help with a delicious recipe for you Amy!
Michelle
I had never thought about putting pesto in spaghetti sauce, but it works soooo well! Thank you very much!
LarishaBernard
So happy you liked it
Akima B.
I just finished making this recipe and all I can say is BOMB.com!! Whole family loved it. All I did was add a touch of balsamic vinegar at the end of making sauce… definitely took it to another level. Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Larisha Bernard
Great idea at the end! So glad you enjoyed
Paulette
I’ve never stuffed spaghetti squash, but I’m definitely on board now! This was surprisingly meaty! even without the liquid smoke I was considering adding. Fresh basil on top really added a nice boost of additional flavor.
LarishaBernard
So happy that you loved it!