Taco Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Tender roasted spaghetti squash halves are filled with spiced lentils, juicy tomatoes and creamy guac to make these scrumptious taco stuffed spaghetti squash boats. They just happen to be pretty healthy, but taste like a taco party in your face!

Spaghetti squash kind of has a reputation as diet food, which is a shame. Even though I try to eat reasonably, I'm not into diet food, and I've even been known to indulge and fry things from time to time.

When I see something labeled as "light" I'm immediately less interested in eating it. So it's kind of a shame that spaghetti squash incidentally picked up that label in most of our brains.

I happen to love spaghetti squash because it's fun! Veggies that turn into noodles are fun. Foods that make their own container and get to be called "boats" are fun. The fact that spaghetti squash just happens to resemble spaghetti at way less calories is an incidental benefit as far as I'm concerned.

So I decided to come up with as fun a stuffed spaghetti squash recipe as I could, in the hopes of psyching up some folks about spaghetti squash.

Get ready for a spaghetti squash taco party in your mouth.

There are a few different ways to roast spaghetti squash for stuffing, and in the past I went with what I now recognize as the inferior method of cutting and then roasting. This time around I didn't feel like dealing with the process of cutting a (rock hard) raw squash, so I tried roasting the squash first, and it was so much easier!

Grab your squash and poke some holes in it with a sharp knife. The knife needs to be sharp! A paring knife works great. Roast it for a little over an hour, let it cool and cut. The only drawback to this method is that it can take a while to cool. My trick was to slice half of it once it was cool enough to handle, then let it sit for a few minutes before cutting the other half. The cut accelerates the cooling process.

Once it's sliced, scoop out the seeds, then use a fork to rake out the inner flesh. This is how you get your squash to have a nice noodley texture.

While the squash cools you can make your filling. Sauté some onion and garlic, then add cooked lentils, tomatoes and spices. Let everything simmer for just a few minutes to get the flavors to mingle.

Stuff your squash with the lentil mixture, then top with guac, vegan nacho cheese, or anything else you like. You can even scoop out the filling with some chips!

Tips for Making Awesome Taco Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

• The filling and squash can be prepared in advance to save time on the day of serving.
• You can substitute canned lentils if you can find them. One 15 ounce can should do it!
• And for that matter, feel free to experiment with subbing different varieties of lentils or even your favorite beans for the brown lentils. Personally, I think chickpeas would be awesome in this.
• I don't recommend preparing the guacamole in advance, as it will turn brown over time.
• Even though this recipe features spaghetti squash, and it is pretty healthy, it's really not low calorie (see nutrition info below!). If you came here looking for a lighter meal, try skipping the guac or replacing it with non-dairy yogurt or extra salsa. You can also cut down on the portion size — these suckers are very big and super filling!

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5 from 2 votes

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Taco Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Tender roasted spaghetti squash halves are filled with spiced lentils, juicy tomatoes and creamy guac to make these scrumptious taco stuffed spaghetti squash boats. They just happen to be pretty healthy, but taste like a taco party in your face!

Course Entree

Cuisine American, Mexican-inspired

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 585 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

• 2 small spaghetti squashes (2 to 2 ½ pounds each)

For the Filling

• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Topping

• Nacho cauliflower cheese
• or Nacho sweet potato cheese
• Salsa
• Hot sauce
• Fresh cilantro
• Chopped scallions

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. Use a sharp knife to poke 6 to 8 holes through each spaghetti squash. 

3. Place the squashes on a baking sheet and bake until easily pierced with a knife, 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

4. While the squashes bake, place the lentils in a small saucepan and cover them with water.

5. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

6. Lower the heat and allow the lentils to cook just until tender, 20-25 minutes.

7. Drain the lentils into a colander and then return them to the pot. Set it aside.

8. When the spaghetti squashes are finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

9. While the squashes cool, coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

10. Add the garlic and sauté until very fragrant, about 1 minute more.

11. Stir in the cooked lentils, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, ancho chile powder and paprika.

12. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.

13. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Make the Guacamole

1. Place the avocadoes into a small bowl and mash them with a fork.

2. Stir in the lime juice, tomato, onion, cilantro and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Make the Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

1. When the squashes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise with a sharp knife.

2. Scoop out the seeds from the squash with a spoon, then take a fork and rake the inner flesh to create a stringy texture.

3. Stuff the squash halves with the lentil mixture, then top with guacamole and toppings of choice.

4. Serve.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information includes squash, lentil filling and guacamole. It does not include other toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Taco Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Amount Per Serving (1 squash half)

Calories 585 Calories from Fat 203

% Daily Value*

Fat 22.5g35%

Saturated Fat 4.3g22%

Sodium 635mg26%

Potassium 1798mg51%

Carbohydrates 87.2g29%

Fiber 24.1g96%

Sugar 9.9g11%

Protein 20.2g40%

Calcium 170mg17%

Iron 8.5mg47%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.