Sun-dried tomatoes give this vegan spaghetti squash recipe a savory pop. Hearty from chickpeas & kale, it's a great fall or winter weeknight dinner.
The first time I had spaghetti squash, it was served with a big scoop of store-bought marinara sauce mixed in. It was slimy and goop-y and decidedly not spaghetti-like.
About a month ago, ditching the pasta idea completely, I planned a post for bbq spaghetti squash tacos. I have a super cute photo to prove that the meal existed, but the recipe ended in total disaster.
So, long story short, I’ve learned that I prefer my spaghetti squash as simple as possible and most importantly: sauce-less. The roasted strands come out of the oven with a nice al-dente bite, but, smothered in sauce, they become just too mushy for me. Check out this post to see how I cook spaghetti squash to get the yummy al dente strands you’ll want for this recipe.
In this recipe, the roasted squash strands are lightly tossed with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and a good squeeze of lemon. I added chickpeas and kale to make it a full meal and toasted some pine nuts for crunch. Sun dried tomatoes add a nice pop of flavor, but you could add anything briny that you like – freshly roasted tomatoes, capers, or maybe some chopped kalamata olives.
So while spaghetti squash is not pasta and it never will be, this veggie-packed bowl just moved up my list as a healthy weeknight favorite.
If you loved this recipe, try these roasted fall vegetable recipes next:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon & Parmesan
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Zest
Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Kale
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 whole garlic clove
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- Red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or roasted)
- 2 cups chopped kale leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or capers or olives
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Prepare the spaghetti squash following the directions in this post.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan, then add the shallots, the whole garlic clove (we’ll remove it later), rosemary, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a few pinches of salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Once the shallot starts to soften, add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes until lightly golden brown. If you’re using roasted chickpeas, add them at the end of the recipe instead. Remove the garlic clove, add the kale and lemon juice, and stir.
- Once the kale is partially wilted, add the squash strands, the sun-dried tomatoes, a little grated Parmesan, and more salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to incorporate. Remove from the heat and top with the toasted pine nuts and more grated cheese.
Notes
That is absolutely DELICIOUS..
Not crazy about spaghetti squash but this recipe is Hummm.
Thank you.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Loved the flavor..my husband kept eating til it was gone! Mine wasn’t as pretty as yours maybe I will try grape tomatoes next time.
Delicious! My husband was not excited about having spaghetti squash because he had it with tomato sauce before and didn’t like it. We both loved your recipe. I used frozen spinach and lime since I didn’t have kale or lemon. Yummm!
I made it, its delicious. Could you include the calories and the macros? That would be so helpful.
This is soooo good! I double the kale mixture and add a little bit of garlic salt and Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle seasoning. Keeps great in fridge. A KEEPER!!!!
This spagetti squash recipe was just what I was looking for, since I do not have tomato sauce. It is healthier without the tom.oes
This turned out delicious! I love a good one pot dish. I ended up using cannelloni beans instead of chick peas and basil instead of rosemary because that is what I had available but it turned out great. Made without cheese because I am vegan as well. I agree that keeping spaghetti squash simple and without sauce is best.
Wow this turned out amazing. This recipe really grabbed my attention because it contained a combination of lots of my favourite things! The squash really takes on all the different flavours and provides a very yummy meal that I will definitely be adding to my rotation! Great for a meal-prep option as it’s just as excellent when reheated.
I just made this for breakfast and it is scrumptious, thank you for coming up with such a delicious and nutritious combination.
Made this tonight with what ingredients we had around the house (surprisingly, that included everything besides pine nuts)… my non-vegetarian family loved it! We garnished with some goat cheese crumbles and this dish did not disappoint! A great way to sneak kale into the kids’ diet without fuss. This recipe is definitely a keeper and will be going into my regular fall/winter rotation!
This is delicious! Since I do not use salt I doubled the rosemary. I cook without oil, using water as needed. Delish!!! Finally—a recipe to love! Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I absolutely loved! I didn’t have any rosemary left so I used savory, thyme, and dill. I didn’t have parm so I just sprinkled a little moz. Was fantastic!
link to roasted chickpeas takes you to spagetti squash
Please tell me, how far in advance might we be able to roast the squash and not loose the quality of the dish?
Hi Kim, you could roast the squash the day before, store it in the fridge, but let it drain in a colander before you use it in case it becomes more watery in the fridge. Hope that helps!
Had the spaghetti squash, chick peas and some spinach. Wow! we used capers, left the garlic in, used spinach instead of kale. really, really good. The lemon is a must.
I wanted to eat healthy again and these r some great recipes. Thank you!
Hello thanksgiving! My “go to” vegetable side or main, hot or cold. Great as dip for appetizers.
Suggestions? Double lemon & full can of chick peas. Thank you!
Reading this recipe I knew it wood be good. It was out-of-this-world good!!! I am counting calories so I used no oil to roast the squash and used 1 teaspoon to saute shallots and garlic in non-stick pan. I eliminated the pine nuts and opted for sun-dried tomatoes. To anyone that makes this: DO NOT leave out the rosemary or fresh lemon juice and I recommend dried chickpeas. I used a 5 lb. squash and the portions were huge for two of us. 742 calories for the entire thing. Thanks! This was amazing!!
Very yummi and satiating! Unfortunately I overdid the spaghetti squash and it was a little mushy. But you live and learn… Next time this dish will be even better!
Forgot: I used little more garlic, chopped it up and left it in, too.
I added extra sun-dried tomatoes and chopped the garlic up and left it in. its yummy and filling!