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Healthy Spaghetti Squash Stuffed Shells with Cauliflower Cream Sauce

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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Author: Dana Blacklock at Killing Thyme

Ingredients

  • 20 pasta shells
  • STUFFING
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 large tomato diced
  • 1 cup of fresh spinach julienned
  • 1 small zucchini grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 oz grated romano cheese
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE
  • 2 heads of cauliflower cut into florets
  • 2 tbsp . of butter
  • 5 cloves large of garlic minced
  • Fresh squeezed lemon juice from half of one lemon
  • 1/2 tsp . of onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp . of sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp . of ground black pepper
  • 2 900 ml boxes of vegetable stock
  • 1 cup of unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk
  • GARNISH
  • 4 oz of fresh romano cheese grated
  • Chives
  • MATERIALS
  • Large baking dish
  • Blender
  • Tinfoil

Instructions

  • STUFFING
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Poke the spaghetti squash several times with a knife.
  • Bake for approx. 50 minutes or until the squash is tender and can easily be poked with a fork (see notes).
  • Once cooked, allow the squash to cool a bit before handling it.
  • Remove from the microwave (I wore my oven mitts just to be safe!)
  • On a cutting board, slice the squash in half.
  • With a fork, shred the squash and place the shredding into a large bowl. Avoid the seeds; they should be easy to work around.
  • Add the grated zucchini, diced tomato, basil, oregano, onion powder and grated romano cheese.
  • Mix with a large spoon until everything is evenly combined.
  • Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
  • CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE
  • With a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.
  • Add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender - approx. 7 minutes.
  • With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the florets to a blender.
  • In a saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
  • Add the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant - approx. 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the butter and garlic to the blender with the cauliflower florets.
  • Add the lemon juice, onion powder, sea salt, ground black pepper, and almond milk.
  • Blend until you've got a smooth, silky puree.
  • Pour 1/2 cup worth of the sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • PASTA SHELLS
  • Place the pasta shells in the leftover vegetable stock.
  • Bring to a boil and cook the noodles to al dente - approx. 5-7 minutes.
  • With a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta shells to a large bowl. Don't rinse.
  • When the shells have cooled off a bit, spoon a tablespoons worth of the squash mixture into the shells, and then place them into the baking dish.
  • Once all of the shells are stuffed and placed into the baking dish, pour the rest of the cauliflower cream sauce on top. Spread it out evenly.
  • Garnish with 4 oz of grated romano cheese.
  • Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, and then remove foil.
  • Bake uncovered for 13 minutes.
  • For the remaining 2 minutes, put it under the broiler to brown the cheese up a bit (OPTIONAL)
  • When done, garnish with fresh chives and serve.

Notes

Typically people cut their squash lengthwise before cooking it. Mine would not slice open for the life of me - probably because I'd refrigerated it for a few days. There are two methods to cook a spaghetti squash - by baking in the oven or by heating in the microwave. If you choose to heat it in the microwave, poke it with a knife all over and nuke it for approx. 12 minutes.