This spaghetti squash bake becomes a satisfying vegetarian main course, thanks to a special topping featuring from potatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, and fresh oregano.
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
large saucepan with a steamer and lid OR Instant Pot with basket or trivet
cheddar (grated), feta cheese (crumbled), or Parmesan
almonds, roughly chopped
Instructions
To steam the squash and potatoes
Add 1 cup water to your saucepan or Instant Pot. Insert steamer basket or trivet.
Slice off the stem and root ends from the spaghetti squash, then slice in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on the steamer basket.
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down on the steamer basket.
For the saucepan, bring water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer/steam for 20 minutes. The squash is ready when a knife inserted into the squash comes out easily when lifted. For the Instant Pot, select “STEAM” and set the timer for 12 minutes. Manually release the steam after 5 minutes and open the lid.
For the vegetable topping
Meanwhile, assemble the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Chop zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and/or red pepper into small pieces of about ½-inch in diameter. Chop onions, garlic, and oregano even finer.
After the potatoes are cool enough to handle, chop them into ½-inch pieces and add to the mixing bowl.
Add salt, black pepper, and olive oil, and mix well. Taste a potato for salt. Add more salt if needed. If you didn’t use any tomatoes, add a bit of lemon juice. Set aside.
Finish the squash and assemble the bake
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, use a large serving spoon to scoop the seeds out and discard. Now scoop the spaghetti flesh out and place in your medium mixing bowl.
Mix in ghee, salt, pepper, and cumin powder.
Transfer to the baking tray and spread evenly over the bottom. Add the prepared vegetable topping and spread evenly. Cover with aluminum foil
Place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the covering. Continue to bake until the veggies are browning on top (about 15 minutes).
Add optional cheese or nuts and bake a few minutes more until the cheese is bubbly and the nuts are golden.
Video
Notes
For a nightshade-free version of this dish, instead of potatoes, use sweet potato or taro root. Or simply leave this element out. Instead of the tomatoes, red bell pepper, or eggplant, add carrot. The carrots will need to be pre-steamed in the first step, along with the squash and potatoes.