Spaghetti Squash with roasted garlic, kale, sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts makes for a comforting, low-carb meal requiring only 5 main ingredients! Plus the recipe is simple to prepare!
I know. Nothing replaces a steamy pile of actual spaghetti, but for those of us who are looking for comfort food that is easy on the digestive system, this meal fits the bill.
It contains vitamins and minerals from the spaghetti squash and kale, a boost of flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic, and some crunch from the walnuts.
This simple recipe requires only 5 main ingredients (not including sea salt and olive oil): spaghetti squash, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, kale, and walnuts.
..Yet it’s so stinking flavorful!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy spaghetti squash recipe in detail, as they all serve an important purpose!
The great news is you can find the full ingredient list at any grocery store.
Roasted Kale Spaghetti Squash Ingredients:
Spaghetti Squash: Pick up one medium-sized spaghetti squash that weight about 5 to 6 pounds. If your spaghetti squash is smaller or larger, no problem. You can adjust the amounts of ingredients accordingly.
While spaghetti squash doesn’t come close to replacing actual spaghetti, I love that it is nice and filling. This is ideal for folks like me who enjoy feeling full after a meal.
The carbohydrates in spaghetti squash come from dietary fiber, so while the winter squash does contain some carbs, they are slow burning in nature and shouldn’t impact blood sugar.
Fresh Garlic: A whole bulb of garlic gets roasted in the oven to add deep garlic flavor to this healthy vegetarian dinner recipe. You can decrease the amount of garlic if you aren’t a garlic lover, but I just love what it does for the dish.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Similar to the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes are a heavy hitting ingredient in the sense that it adds a big burst of flavor to the meal.
I buy sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. Before adding them to the meal, I drain them of the oil but I don’t take an extra step to pat them dry with a paper towel.
To lower the calorie count, you can rinse and/or pat the tomatoes dry.
Kale: Fresh kale leaves add micronutrients to this healthy dinner recipe, such as Vitamin K, A, and C. It also adds dietary fiber, which is ideal for those like me who prioritize meeting or exceeding their daily values of fiber.
Swap it for spinach, chard, or your favorite leafy greens if you’d like.
Walnuts: Raw walnuts get toasted to nutty perfection to add richness and a lovely nutty crunch to this amazing comfort food.
They can easily be swapped for pecans, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Now that we’ve covered the healthy ingredients for this amazing winter meal, let’s make it!
How to Make Roasted Garlic Kale Spaghetti Squash:
Begin by roasting the squash and garlic. If you’re new to roasting winter squash, simply follow my tutorial on How to Roast Spaghetti Squash.
To roast garlic, cut the top off, of the bulb, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Place in the oven with the squash for the whole duration of roasting. Roast the walnuts for 5 minutes if desired.
When the squash, garlic, and walnuts have finished roasting, allow them to cool enough to handle. Once cool, use a fork to release the strands of spaghetti squash and place in a large bowl.
Peel the garlic cloves, give them a rough chop, and transfer them to the bowl with the spaghetti squash.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped kale. Cover and cook until kale has wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the sun dried tomatoes, along with the squash, roasted garlic, and walnuts. Continue cooking and stirring until all of the ingredients are well-combined and heated through.
Stir in sea salt to taste and taste the spaghetti squash for flavor. If desired, drizzle a couple tablespoons of lemon juice over everything for added citrusy flavor.
Serve and enjoy!
How Many People Does This Recipe Serve?:
Spaghetti squash vary in size substantially, so the amount of food you end up with is largely determined by the size of the squash.
When I make this recipe, I choose a medium-sized squash (about 5 to 6 pounds). If you purchase a larger one, you may want to increase the portions of garlic and/or sun-dried tomatoes to ensure the meal is flavorful.
Using a 5 – 6 pound squash, this recipe will feed two people comfortably. Or if you’re me, it will feed you twice in one day…lunch + dinner.
If you’re feeding more people, you can easily double or triple the recipe using 2 squash or 1 very large squash (8 to 10 pounds).
Turn it Into a Meal Prep Recipe:
- While roasting squash is a bit of a time commitment, it can easily be done up to 4 to 5 days ahead of time, making the preparation process a little easier.
- In addition, you can roast the garlic up to 5 days in advance and simply assemble the remainder of the recipe when you’re ready to eat.
- This recipe saves well! Make the whole recipe up to 1 week ahead of time and store it in airtight containers for meal prep.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add your favorite homemade or store-bought pesto sauce for even more flavor! I like using my classic Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe.
- If you prefer fresh cherry tomatoes over sun-dried tomatoes, feel free to swap them out!
- Use chard or spinach in place of kale.
- Replace the roasted walnuts with roasted almonds, pecans, cashews, pine nuts, or pistachios, or go nut-free.
- Make this a meat-lover’s dish by adding grilled or rotisserie chicken. This boost of protein will make the dish even more filling.
- To keep this recipe vegetarian but add a protein boost, add chickpeas or a sunny-side up egg.
- For some citrusy flavor, add a couple tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and/or lemon zest.
If you’re a lover of spaghetti squash like me, also be sure to check out these healthy spaghetti squash recipes!
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes:
- Spaghetti Squash Egg Nests
- Creamy Tahini Spaghetti Squash with Kale
- Crispy Salmon Bowls with Pesto Spaghetti Squash
- Mushroom Bolognese Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli Pumpkin Seed Pesto
The next time you’re craving a meatless meal, whip up this easy spaghetti squash recipe!
It is the perfect light meal when you’re wanting to enjoy something comforting and nutritious, and can easily be made more filling by adding your favorite protein.
Versatile and simple, I love healthy recipes like this and keep it on constant rotation during the fall and winter months.
Enjoy!
Roasted Garlic and Kale Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash roasted
- 1 small head kale chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Roast the spaghetti squash according to these instructions, along with the garlic. To roast garlic, cut the top off, of the bulb, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Place in the oven with the spaghetti squash for the whole duration of roasting. Roast the walnuts for 5 minutes if desired.
- When the spaghetti squash and garlic (and walnuts) have finished roasting, allow them to cool enough to handle. Once cool, use a fork to release the strands of spaghetti squash and place in a large bowl. Peel the garlic cloves, give them a rough chop, and transfer them to the bowl with the spaghetti squash.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped kale. Cover and cook until kale has wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes, along with the spaghetti squash, roasted garlic, and walnuts. Continue cooking and stirring until all of the ingredients are well-combined and heated through.
- Add sea salt to taste and taste the spaghetti squash for flavor. If desired, drizzle a couple tablespoons of lemon juice over the spaghetti squash for added citrusy flavor. Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition
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This dish was so tasty.i did add grated cheese at the end, so no longer a vegan dish. My husband really enjoyed it. I will make again.
I love the idea of adding cheese! Thanks for sharing your experience, Judy!