Spaghetti Squash with Vegan Mushroom Meatballs

Spaghetti Squash with Vegan Mushroom Meatballs

This spaghetti recipe might be heck of a lot different from your Grandma’s, but it’s loaded with flavor, fiber, vitamins and minerals. On top of that, its completely gluten-free and plant-based! Looking for other creative ways to replace pasta with vegan and gluten-free alternatives? Here’s three more gluten-free pasta substitutes to add to your arsenal.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 cup water

Mushroom Meatballs

  • ½ cup pecans
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1/2 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2/3 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 fresh sage leaves
  • ½ Tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup gluten-free oats, ground
  • Salt and pepper, as desired

Sauce

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1-16oz can diced tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper, as desired
  • 2 fresh sage leaves, chopped

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place both halves cut side down into a baking dish with about ½” water in the bottom. Place in oven. Check after 30 minutes. If flesh is cooked through, remove from oven. If not, return to oven and check every 10 minutes. Allow squash to cool and rake the flesh with a fork to break up the strands.
  3. While squash is cooking combine pecans, walnuts, carrot and celery in food processor. Process until pureed.
  4. Add in mushrooms, herbs and nutritional yeast. Process until well combined.
  5. Mix in oats by hand.
  6. Season withsalt and pepper.
  7. Roll mixture into balls, about 2 tablespoons large. Place balls on baking sheet.
  8. Bake 20 minutes before flipping. Bake another 20-30 minutes or until browned and crunchy on the outside.
  9. While meatballs and spaghetti squash are cooking, heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add in garlic and onions cooking until onions are translucent. Add in chili flakes andbalsamic vinegar. Allow to cook for a few minutes or until vinegar is thick. Add in tomatoes and allow simmering for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Before serving sauce, stir in herbs.
  10. Scrape squash to get spaghetti-like noodles.
  11. Plate squash on 4 plates. Top each serving with sauce and “meatballs”.

Morgan Shupe

Head Chef at Vega
Morgan Shupe is head chef at Vega. She transforms Vega HQ’s kitchen into a soup and salad bar of epic proportions to nourish Vegatopians every weekday. Morgan has wanted to be a chef since the age of 5 and is currently studying to become a registered holistic nutritionist. You can find more of her recipes on her blog—Shupe’s Soups + Mo & Lo

Find More From Morgan
Vegan and Raw Food Recipes here >>
Nutrition and Health Tips here >>