Healthy Curry Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas

This Curry Spaghetti Squash recipe is wonderfully spicy, delicious, and filling! It’s the best low carb pasta substitute topped with fire roasted tomatoes, and chickpeas for added protein! It makes a healthy and satisfying dinner for the whole family!

Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite winter squashes to use because it’s super versatile, easy to prepare, and totally absorbs the flavor of anything you cook it with! Which is why, I absolutely love using it in this curry spaghetti squash recipe!

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Think of this dish like an Indian spaghetti squash pasta that’s healthy and easily made low-carb too. I added rich spices like cumin, coriander and cayenne, and then threw in some chickpeas and cashews for texture and added protein. For some freshness, I added cilantro and tomatoes.

While making spaghetti squash is somewhat labor intensive (you’ll see in the directions), I had fun scraping out the squash to make my Indian style pasta. It is pretty amazing how, once baked, the squash literally makes flawless spaghetti shaped strands when you scrape it out with a fork!

This recipe turned out to have the perfect balance of flavors, and we really could eat it like a pasta dish! The family actually liked it, and we pretty much had no leftovers. It’s a healthy vegetarian Indian recipe!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Whole 30
• Hearty and Satisfying
• Full of Indian Spices
• Family Friendly
• Ready to Eat in an Hour

🥘 Ingredients

This spaghetti squash curry recipe calls for some staple ingredients and easy to find spices at your local grocery store!

• Spaghetti Squash: This variety of squash has a distinctly different texture from other squash. Rather than the flesh being solid, it is stringy in texture, similar to spaghetti. It has a mild and neutral flavor, which allows it to take on the flavors for the sauces added quite easily. It also makes it an excellent low carb substitution for pasta or spaghetti.
• Chickpeas: A hearty legume, chickpeas give this recipe some texture and add to the heartiness of the dish. You can substitute for another bean or lentils if you like. If you’re trying to make a keto spaghetti squash recipe, omit the chickpeas as they add to the net carbs of this dish. For a low carb option, you can substitute it for ground beef, paneer cheese, or chicken.
• Fire Roasted Tomatoes: These canned tomatoes have such a deep roasted flavor that truly elevates the dish! You can always opt for fresh tomatoes, or diced tomatoes, but I recommend going with fire roasted.
• Indian Spices: This “masala pasta” uses a variety of Indian spices that bring tons of flavor, and make it spicy and rich! You’ll need cumin, curry powder, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt. Feel free to add black pepper and grated fresh ginger for a spicy spaghetti squash curry! If you can’t find curry powder, you can use red curry paste too.
• Cashews and Cilantro (to garnish): Crushed cashews, and freshly chopped cilantro are a great addition to this dish. Green onions and a squeeze of lime juice would work well here too.

📖 Variations

• Thai Curry Spaghetti Squash: Add 1 cup of coconut milk + Thai red curry sauce or green curry paste, and use tofu instead of the chickpeas. It’ll have more of a Pad Thai type of flavor.
• Italian Spaghetti Squash: Instead of Indian spices, use a dried Italian seasoning blend and instead of cashews as a garnish, use parmesan cheese
• Coconut Curry Spaghetti Squash: Add 1/2 cup shredded coconut to the spaghetti squash and stir together before serving!
• Keto Spaghetti Squash: Replace the chickpeas with paneer cheese!
• Add More Veggies: Try adding some red bell pepper, zucchini, baby spinach or snap peas for extra veggies!

🍽 Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Chopping Knife
• Baking Sheet
• Large saucepan

🔪 Instructions

Prep your Spaghetti Squash: Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. You’ll need a sharp knife, and a bit of muscle! Scrape out all the seeds and gunky pulp with a spoon. Lightly rub a teaspoon of olive oil on each side of the squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast Squash: Roast the squash face down in an oiled baking sheet for 30-40 minutes. Let cool.

Remove the Flesh: Scrape out the spaghetti squash shells with a fork, until you have a bowl full of cooked strands of squash.

Prepare the Sauce: Set the squash aside, and on the stove top, heat a large pot over medium heat. Put the chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, and all the spices (cumin through salt) in the pot.

Simmer: Cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat until the chickpeas have softened, about 15-30 minutes (depending on how soft you want the chickpeas). Once the chickpeas have cooked, add the spaghetti squash into the pot, and stir to combine.

Serve: Top with chopped cashews and cilantro.

❓Recipe FAQs

🧊 How to Store

• Refrigerate: Allow to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Place in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days.
• Freezer: Allow to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight freezer safe container or bag. Make sure all air is removed. Label with the contents and the date. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
• Reheat: When ready to reheat, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Place in a microwave safe dish, cover, and heat on high until warmed through. Alternatively, transfer to a saucepan to warm over the stove.

💭 Expert Tips for Baking Spaghetti Squash

• Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Do not cut it down the middle.
• Make sure to clean the inside well by scooping out all of the seeds. I use a metal soup spoon, and it works great to get all the extra stuff out of the center.
• Lightly oil the squash or the pan itself to keep it from sticking.
• Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper for added flavor. Don’t add too much oil or salt. This will result in a more watery texture.
• Place the squash flesh side down on the baking sheet. Use parchment paper to keep squash from sticking to the baking sheet.
• Poke the back of the squash a few times with a fork.
• Don’t over roast your squash! For al dente strands, all you need is 30-40 minutes.
• For perfect spaghetti squash strands, scrape the strands from the outside in.

🍲 More Indian Recipes!

• Turmeric Milk Recipe
• Instant Pot Dal
• Vegetable Vindaloo
• Lentil Cauliflower Curry
• Indian Cabbage – Curried Cabbage
• Healthy Indian Fried Rice

📋 Recipe Card

🎥 Watch How to Make It

https://youtu.be/kwV8l3IC9Io

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Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Curry Spaghetti Squash

This Curry Spaghetti Squash recipe is wonderfully spicy, delicious, and filling! It's an excellent pasta substitute topped with fire roasted tomatoes, and chickpeas for added protein! It makes a healthy and satisfying dinner for the whole family!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 spaghetti squash
• ▢ 1.5 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 15oz can
• ▢ 15 oz fire roasted tomatoes 1 can
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ tsp curry powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ chopped cashews 1 tbsp per serving
• ▢ chopped cilantro for garnish

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Instructions

• ▢
  Prep your spaghetti squash — Cut it in half, scrape out all the seeds and gunky pulp, and roast it face down in an oiled baking dish at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool.
• ▢
  Scrape out the spaghetti squash with a fork, until you have a bowl full of cooked “squash pasta.”
• ▢
  Set the squash aside, and heat a large pot over medium heat.
• ▢
  Put the chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, and all the spices (cumin through salt) in the pot. Cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the chickpeas have softened, about 15-30 minutes (depending on how soft you want the chickpeas). Once the chickpeas have cooked, add the spaghetti squash into the pot, and stir to combine.
• ▢
  Toss with cilantro and cashews, and serve.

Notes

• Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Do not cut it down the middle.
• Make sure to clean the inside well by scooping out all of the seeds. I use a metal soup spoon, and it works great to get all the extra stuff out of the center.
• Lightly oil the squash or the pan itself to keep it from sticking.
• Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper for added flavor. Don’t add too much oil or salt. This will result in a more watery texture.
• Place the squash flesh side down on the baking sheet. Use parchment paper to keep squash from sticking to the baking sheet.
• Poke the back of the squash a few times with a fork.
• Don’t over roast your squash! For al dente strands, all you need is 30-40 minutes.
• For perfect spaghetti squash strands, scrape the strands from the outside in.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 782IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 5mg