The delectable sides can elevate every amazing dish’s taste, isn’t it?
If you are looking for a low-carb vegan spaghetti, how about trying spaghetti squash? This incredible winter veggie can be cooked in many ways. You can boil, bake, roast, and make it into spaghetti!
In this article, we will list 14 side dishes that go well with spaghetti squash for you to try and enjoy.
1. Why You Should Try Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is a healthy winter vegetable packed with many nutrients. It is one of the best alternatives available to your regular spaghetti.
The spaghetti squash is rich in carotene and folic acid and is a low-calorie vegetable. It’s about 31 calories per 100g.
The best thing about spaghetti squash is that it can be eaten in multiple ways.
Besides steaming, baking, and roasting, you can make delicious spaghetti squash casserole, chicken pesto spaghetti squash, shrimp scampi spaghetti squash, and spaghetti squash burrito bowls. The list is endless!
1.1. Trying Spaghetti Squash – Contributions to Health: Expert Opinion
Meaghan Greenwood, a registered dietician and health coach at Hourglass Waist, describes spaghetti squash as a valuable addition to a health-conscious diet for several reasons:
- Low in Calories and Carbohydrates: Spaghetti squash is lower in calories and carbohydrates than traditional pasta.
This makes it a suitable option for individuals looking to manage their weight or reduce their overall carbohydrate intake.
- Rich in Nutrients: Spaghetti squash is a good source of various nutrients, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber. These nutrients play essential roles in supporting overall health, immune function, and digestion.
- High in Fiber: The fibre content in spaghetti squash can aid in promoting satiety and supporting digestive health. High-fiber foods help individuals feel full and satisfied, which can benefit weight management.
- Versatile Substitute for Pasta: Spaghetti squash can be used as a substitute for traditional pasta, especially for those looking to reduce their refined carbohydrate intake.
It provides a similar texture to pasta and can be paired with various sauces and toppings.
- Gluten-Free Option: For individuals with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, spaghetti squash offers a gluten-free alternative to traditional wheat-based pasta.
This can be especially important for those who need to avoid gluten for medical reasons.
- Antioxidant Properties: The presence of vitamins A and C in spaghetti squash contributes to its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help protect the body from oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Supports Blood Sugar Control: The lower carbohydrate and higher fiber content of spaghetti squash can contribute to better blood sugar control.
This is particularly relevant for individuals with diabetes or those looking to manage their blood sugar levels.
It’s important to note that while spaghetti squash can be a nutritious and health-conscious choice, a balanced and varied diet is key to overall well-being.
Incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains ensures that individuals receive a broad spectrum of nutrients for optimal health.
2. Best Ways to Eat Spaghetti Squash
The spaghetti squash can be cooked in many ways. Here, we will discuss the two best ways to cook spaghetti squash.
2.1. Spaghetti Squash Noodles Recipe
I. Gathering Your Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Seasonings of Your Choice
II. Making Spaghetti Noodles
After preparing all the ingredients, let’s move on to the cooking part.
- Step One: Preheat The Oven and Prepare Spaghetti Squash
Preheat the oven to 176 ºC. Cut the spaghetti squash into halves, remove the seed part, and poke around the outer areas.
Place the spaghetti squash on a baking sheet so the inner part is on the downside.
- Step Two: Add Water and Bake
Add water to the baking sheet and bake the spaghetti squash. Give about 45 minutes to cook the spaghetti squash.
Then, using a fork, make spaghetti-like strands. Your spaghetti squash noodles are ready. Add mozzarella cheese, spaghetti sauce, and your favorite seasoning to make it flavourful, and bake again.
2.2. Boiled Spaghetti Squash
If you are in a rush and want to eat something delicious quickly, you can simply boil the spaghetti squash.
Prepare your spaghetti squash by cutting it into even pieces and then adding it to a pot. Pour water and wait until it boils. Then, cook on mid-flame to low flame for about 20 minutes.
Garnish the boiled spaghetti squash with your favorite seasonings, or sprinkle pepper flakes and salt.
The spaghetti squash recipes don’t end here; you can try various stuffings inside to make stuffed spaghetti squash and tasty squash boats.
A Creative Way to Use Spaghetti Squash in Meals
Catherine Rall, Registered Dietitian, Happy V, presents a simple yet healthy spaghetti squash recipe:
“One of my favorite spaghetti squash recipes is very simple – using spaghetti squash as noodles and then topping it with meat sauce.
It’s truthfully just swapping out regular pasta noodles with spaghetti squash that’s been baked and shredded.
I like to top it with homemade meat sauce made with ground turkey rather than ground beef, as ground turkey is leaner and more heart-healthy.
This is a meal that’s not only super nutritious and [delicious] but leaves you feeling [very] full and satisfied. Plus, it’s easy to make!”
3. Best Side Dishes
3.1. Vegetable Salad
Are you fond of vegetable salads? Salads are healthy side dishes that go well with spaghetti squash.
The cooked spaghetti squash with vegetable salads makes your tasty meal healthier. To make the vegetable salad, pick your veggies. You can use any veggies you choose but try to balance the flavors.
Carrots, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, beat root, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, and cucumber are all great options. Add hard-boiled eggs, olives, and black beans if you need extra flavours.
Add olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. You can also try adding roasted garlic or extra species per your preferences.
If you need an extra sweet taste, add maple syrup. The vegetable salad is ready to serve with spaghetti squash recipes like spaghetti squash noodles and spaghetti squash casserole
3.2. Orange Chicken
This Asian-origin recipe is a delightful treat for anyone who loves chicken. The best part is it goes well with spaghetti squash.
The key highlight of orange chicken is its tangy, flavourful orange sauce. Mix vinegar, soya sauce, orange juice, lemon juice, and water to make the orange sauce at home.
Heat the mixture, then add orange peels, ginger roots, pepper flakes, and onion. Bring the whole mix to boiling, and the orange sauce is ready.
The next part is marinating the chicken. You can slice the raw poultry into small pieces and soak it in the sauce. Keep it sealed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few hours. Later, you can cover the chicken in flour, egg, and garlic batter.
Cook the chicken in the orange sauce. The orange chicken is ready to serve with spaghetti squash! So, are you ready to cook this tasty Chinese orange chicken for your next tasty meal?
3.3. Garlic Shrimp
Shrimp is an amazing ingredient that can become mouth-watering delicacies; the garlic shrimp is a classic recipe that pairs greatly with spaghetti squash noodles.
To make an easy garlic shrimp, fry the shrimp in a pan and let the colour of the shrimp turn pink. Then, keep the fried shrimp aside.
On a separate skillet, saute the garlic well; add cream if you want a creamy garlic shrimp. After cooking for a while, add parmesan cheese and fried shrimp. Season your dish with the seasoning of your choice.
This simple and classy garlic shrimp is ready to serve with spaghetti squash noodles; you can also try the spaghetti squash casserole.
The garlic shrimp is a delicious solution to solve all your queries on what to eat with spaghetti squash. Try different squash recipes with garlic shrimp to find your ideal choice!
3.4. Marinara Sauce
The pasta sauces are a must-try not only with pasta but also with spaghetti squash recipes.
Try a marinara sauce to elevate the flavor of your spaghetti squash noodles. A simple marinara sauce is easy to make and can be your best choice, especially on a busy day.
To make marinara sauce, saute onion in olive oil. Add minced garlic and vegetable or chicken stock when the onion is fried enough. Keep stirring the mixture well, then add chopped tomatoes and parsley. Finally, add pepper and salt.
The simple marinara sauce is ready to pair with any spaghetti squash noodles! You can try marinara sauce, tomato sauce, and mushroom sauce with spaghetti squash.
3.5. Chicken Spinach Artichoke
The chicken spinach artichoke recipe is a good option for making a side dish with spaghetti squash. Spinach and artichokes are healthy additions to your meal.
To prepare a chicken spinach artichoke, cook the chicken first. Then saute garlic, and add chicken broth and cheese. Use cheese of your choice, feta cheese, and parmesan cheese all are good options.
Now, add ground pepper to this mixture and stir it continuously. Add spinach cut into smaller pieces, mix them thoroughly, and then add artichoke hearts.
Finally, add the cooked chicken to the mixture, or you can simply serve the chicken with spinach and artichoke sauce topping. Try making stuffed spaghetti squash with the mixture.
People love spaghetti squash noodles with chicken recipes; the chicken spinach artichoke spaghetti squash is a delicious treat for your taste buds.
So, what is stopping you from making chicken, spinach, and spaghetti squash?
3.6. Vegetable Stew
The spaghetti squash with vegetable stew is one of the best choices as a complete vegan course.
To make a delicious vegetable stew, choose your veggies. Carrot, onion, celery, potato, and beans all are good options. Heat the pan, cook the vegetables, and add mushrooms, garlic, pepper, and oregano.
After cooking the vegetables well enough, it’s time to add flour. The flour creates that ideal creamy consistency in your vegetable stew, then add balsamic vinegar and soya sauce.
Finally, add potatoes, tomato sauce, and lentils, then cook the whole mixture until it boils. Your delicious creamy vegetable stew is ready to serve with spaghetti squash.
3.7. Eggplant Puttanesca
The eggplant is a great vegetable with many nutrients, and the eggplant puttanesca is a must-try with spaghetti squash recipes.
Are you curious to know about how to prepare eggplant puttanesca? It is an easy-to-make dish. To prepare eggplant puttanesca, chop the onions and eggplant into small pieces. Saute both veggies well in olive oil. Add pasta sauce to the mixture.
Add olives and pepper flakes, and give ample time for cooking eggplant. The eggplant puttanesca is ready to mix with spaghetti squash noodles.
Simply top it on the roasted spaghetti squash or serve it on squash boats. Finally, garnish with cheese. Try adding different herbs to elevate the flavor.
3.8. Vegetable Soup
Who dislikes a warm cup of soup? The best part is vegetable soup is an excellent pair for your stuffed spaghetti squash dishes.
You can make basic vegetable soup by picking your favorite veggies. To make a basic vegetable soup, slice potatoes, beans, carrots, etc., into even pieces and saute garlic in a pan.
Toss the vegetables and cook them; if you are fond of corn, boil corn kernels too.
Add olive oil, sauteed garlic, vegetables, corn kernels, and tomatoes in a separate pot, then pour the vegetable stock. Finally, add salt, pepper, and the seasonings.
The hot vegetable soup is ready. Soups go well with many spaghetti squash recipes, like spaghetti squash casserole, noodles, and bread sticks.
3.9. Black Bean Salad
Black bean salad is an easy side dish with spaghetti squash recipes. The black beans have this rich meat texture, which makes them an ideal vegan addition to your meals.
The black beans bring incredible Latin American flavors to your dinner table. Like most salads, black bean salad is also easy to make.
Mix the black beans, corn kernels, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, and other veggies in a salad bowl. Mix them well by adding olive oil and lemon juice. Finally, add ground pepper and salt to taste.
You can try different salad dressings to bring unique flavors. Try other salads like tomato salad with spaghetti squash. The other way to eat black beans with squash is to make black beans and vegetable-stuffed spaghetti squash.
3.10. Meat Sauce
Meat sauce is an excellent choice for spaghetti, and spaghetti squash noodles are no exception.
To make meat sauce at home, add onion, garlic, and ground pork in a saucepan with olive oil. Let the mixture cook for about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, garlic powder, fennel, and herbs of your choice.
If you are fond of the spicy flavour of pepper, add grounded pepper as well. Pour the broth and add a little sugar to balance the flavor.
Give the mixture enough time for that classy, creamy meat sauce flavour. You can add butter to get the right consistency.
Serve the meat sauce with spaghetti squash recipes like noodles, stuffed spaghetti squash, roasted spaghetti squash, etc.
The meat sauce makes creamy spaghetti squash noodles a delicious treat!
So, next time, try to add this creamy sauce to your spaghetti squash dish. Other sauces you can try with spaghetti squash boats include mint, enchilada, etc.
3.11. Meat Balls
Meatballs are hard to miss when considering a side dish with spaghetti squash. Meatballs are a delicious side dish to many main courses, including spaghetti.
Adding meatballs to your spaghetti squash recipes makes them rich and flavorful. Meatballs can be made differently; you may have your favorite versions.
First, mix ground meat, seasonings, and bread crumbs in a bowl to make meatballs. Add whisked eggs to the mixture.
For seasonings, you can try different herbs, salt, pepper, etc. Try Italian seasoning if you want to try Italian meatballs. As for the meat, ground beef and ground turkey are good options.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly; now it’s time to make small balls. To bake the balls, place them in a preheated oven after spreading some olive oil on the baking dish.
Don’t forget to flip the meatballs after the downside is cooked enough.
You can also make meatballs without baking; just cook them in a pan. Meatballs pair well with spaghetti squash recipes. You can also try topping your spaghetti squash boats with meatballs.
3.12. Chicken Alfredo
How about making a restaurant-style chicken alfredo to compliment your spaghetti squash boat? Chicken alfredo is a much-loved meat recipe for people of all ages.
To make the chicken alfredo at home, first, you need to cook seasoned chicken pieces after spreading some canola oil in a pan.
Cook the seasoned chicken, and don’t forget to flip sides. Apply some butter while cooking, give ample time to cook the chicken, and keep it aside.
To make alfredo sauce, saute garlic in butter and add cream. Add cheese, kosher salt and pepper, and spices of your choice to enhance the overall flavor.
Cook it for about 5 minutes until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency. Now add your spaghetti squash noodles to the sauce, or mix it with alfredo sauce.
The spaghetti sauce is an excellent pasta substitute. Top it with cooked chicken pieces and garnish with pepper and parsley, and a hearty meal of roasted spaghetti squash with chicken is ready to serve!
3.13. Chicken Salad]
Chicken salads go well with roasted spaghetti squash dishes. The chicken salads are easy to make and delicious to eat; it makes the meal even more wholesome!
There are numerous ways to make chicken salad. You may have your recipes or family’s recipes for chicken salads.
To make a simple chicken salad, boil the chicken pieces and cook it for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then drain and slice the chicken into evenly sized small pieces and keep it aside. Take a salad bowl and add the diced vegetables of your choice.
You can choose lettuce, celery, berries, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, and more. If you are fond of fruits, add some diced apples or pears. Add diced chicken pieces to the vegetable and fruit mix.
Finally, use your favorite salad dressing to complete the dish. The chicken salad can be paired with any roasted spaghetti squash recipe of your choice.
The crunchiness of fresh veggies and the slight sweetness of fruits combined with spaghetti squash noodles and spaghetti squash boat recipes are a delicious treat to all foodies.
3.14. Grilled Fish
Grilled Fish is a great side dish for squash dishes; you can grill the fish of your choice. Yellow tail and salmon are all great choices for grilling.
To make a perfectly grilled yellowtail, first mix garlic, salt, and pepper in olive oil. Spread the mixture on a well-sliced yellowtail.
Marinate for some time and add some lime juice on the top. Grill the fish until it turns yellowish and flip in time to cook both sides. Garnish with herbs and other seasonings of your choice.
Along with grilled fish, grill a few vegetables too. The grilled veggies and delicious fish with spaghetti squash noodles, spaghetti squash casserole, and cooked spaghetti squash are enjoyable treats.
So, are you ready to cook grilled fish and roasted spaghetti squash recipe for tonight’s dinner?
Expert Views on Spaghetti Squash as a Low-Carb Pasta Alternative
Krutika Nanavati, a registered dietitian and nutritionist practicing in New Zealand and a medical advisor at Clinicspots for Diet, highlights the nutritional benefits.
- Low in Calories and Carbohydrates: Spaghetti squash is significantly lower in calories and carbohydrates than traditional pasta.
A one-cup serving of cooked spaghetti squash contains approximately 42 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates, compared to 175 calories and 31 grams of carbohydrates in a similar serving of whole-wheat pasta.
- High in Fiber: Spaghetti squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber, providing about 2 grams per one-cup serving. Fiber helps regulate digestion, promote satiety, and can improve overall gut health.
- Rich in Essential Vitamins and Minerals: Spaghetti squash is a good source of vitamins A, C, and B6 and minerals like manganese and potassium. These nutrients play crucial roles in various bodily functions.
4. Wrapping Up
In this article, we discussed fourteen delicious dishes to settle all your worries about what you can eat with spaghetti squash.
It was a wonderful culinary trip with many flavors, from vegetable salad to grilled fish. Try these amazing side dishes and enjoy them with spaghetti squash! Happy cooking!
Guest Author: Saket Kumar
Last Updated on by Sathi