Spaghetti Squash Pasta with 'Meaty' Sauce

White platter heaped with golden spaghetti squash cooked in the air fryer, and topped with a meatless hearty tomato sauce.

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Spaghetti Squash Pasta with 'Meaty' Sauce

Spaghetti squash topped with a meaty sauce made with Beyond Beef Crumbles, tomato sauce and a little fresh oregano.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: vegetarian main

Cuisine: Any

Keyword: spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash with sauce

Servings: people

Calories: 629.2kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 yellow onion diced (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon garlic paste or 4 - 5 large garlic cloves smashed and minced
2 roasted red peppers chopped into ½" pieces (see ingredient notes below)
1 10-ounce package of Beyond Beef Crumbles
2 cups your favorite store-bought tomato sauce or make your own
¼ cup pesto
2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 375˚F. Slice the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds using a spoon. Rub the inside surfaces with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly salt the surfaces.
Roast for 15 minutes. If strands don't come up when scraping a fork across the surface, roast for an additional 5 minutes. For more details, or roasting in the oven, see this article.
While the squash roasts, add the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and chopped roasted red pepper, and sauté another 5 minutes.
Add the frozen Beyond Beef crumbles and cook for 5 minutes until thawed. Stir in the pasta sauce and pesto. Cook until bubbling.
Scrape up the spaghetti squash strands using a fork, and pile it onto 2 plates. Top with the sauce and a sprinkling of fresh oregano.

Notes

Ingredient Notes for the Pasta Sauce

The secret to fast, healthy meals often lies in the ingredients. Short-cut store-bought options, and ingredients you can make ahead and save in the refrigerator, can turn a dish that takes 60 (or more) minutes to make into a 30 minute meal or less.

Garlic Paste

I'm all for saving time, and this is something I purchase already done for me. I've tried a lot of them, and most of them are watery with a very muted flavor. The only one I use now is Gourmet Garden Stir-In Garlic Paste.

Roasted Red Peppers

In the same vein as the garlic paste, if I'm in a hurry for a quick weeknight dinner, I use jarred roasted red peppers that are already peeled. It's not difficult at all to roast your own peppers, and the flavor will be fuller, but it will take longer than opening a jar if you're trying to save time.

Beyond Beef Crumbles - Beefy

Beyond Beef is also available refrigerated (not frozen) in 1 pound packages. But I sometimes turn to these frozen packages of Beyond Beef Crumbles for convenience. If you want to stay away from process foods altogether, substitute firm tofu in place of the beef substitute.

Marinara Sauce

You can make your own tomato sauce, and keep it in jars in the refrigerator or freezer, or purchase a favorite one. If I don't have any of my own on hand, I prefer Rao's Marinara Sauce above others that I've tried.

Pesto Sauce

This addition is completely optional, but adds a wonderful extra layer of flavor depth. I typically make a lot of homemade pesto in the late summer and freeze it, and then add cubes to sauces. But you can also purchase your favorite pre-made pesto at your market.

Nutrition