Healthy Curry Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.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
🔪 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
Is spaghetti squash okay to eat on a keto diet?
Yes! Spaghetti squash is okay to eat on a keto diet. It is one of the lowest net carbs of all the squashes, and makes for an excellent nutrient rich substitute for pasta!
How many net carbs are in spaghetti squash?
One cup of spaghetti squash has about 8 net carbs. It contains 10 grams of total carbs, 0.4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 4 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 42 calories.
Is spaghetti squash a good carb?
Yes, it is a good carb. It is very low in total carbs, but is also virtually fat free, low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in vitamins and nutrients. If you are on a low carb diet, such as Keto, this squash makes for an excellent substitute to white carbs such as pasta.
Is this recipe kid friendly?
Yes! This spaghetti squash and chickpeas is kid friendly! It has all of the elements of a traditional pasta dish. The spices give it excellent flavor, but not too much heat! Feel free to adjust the spices to suit your child’s tastes and preferences.
What makes this curry spaghetti squash recipe healthy?
Low in Net Carbs: With the chickpeas, this dish has 52 grams of carbs; removing the chickpeas and subbing it for a low-carb protein, reduces the carbs to 23 grams (18 grams of net carbs).
Low in Calories in Fat: This Indian pasta recipe has only 282 calories, and 4 grams of fat per serving.
Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: Spaghetti squash is high in fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6. Vitamin C helps with immune support. Manganese improves bone health, and Vitamin B6 improves mood, and supports brain health.
🧊 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
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
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!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 283kcal
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
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
There are so many things to love about this recipe! I love that it is healthy, sounds like it tastes fabulous and the photos look amazing. Your whole blog is very beautiful, thanks!
Aw thank you so much Adrianne! I hope you love this recipe when you try it!
I’ve done regular spaghetti sauce on spaghetti squash, but I love that this recipe is so unique! We love our curry, so I can’t wait to try this!
Yay! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe Jamie!
Is this all the liquid in this recipe? Looks like all the liquid is in the can of tomatoes. That’s not much to bring to a boil.
Hi John! That’s right – the liquid from the can of tomatoes is all you really need to soften the chickpeas! If you want it to be a little more “saucy” you can add half a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes for some more liquid. Hope that helps!
I totally LOVE the stuff, NICE recipe; I usually turn it into Spaghetti parmesan; this Kicks! With Chapati’s and Rice. 😉
Thanks Rob! Enjoy!
Oh Wow! I can remember in the 70’s my mom being on this spaghetti squash “kick”. We had it almost once a week, but always with her homemade Spaghetti sauce. I’m trying this one tonight! I’ll probably have to make my Ras al Hanout from scratch (no Williams & Sonoma or whole foods in my small city), but hey- I make my own garam masala, so it shouldn’t be too hard. Santosh and I belong to a CSA too. For me, it was my first introduction to a daikon! Luckily for us, our CSA provides a little newsletter with recipes for most of the box’s ingredients. Pretty neat! So I ended up using the daikon in a salad for which they had provided a recipe. Now I’m just proud that I know what a daikon is! LOL! (we found our csa on localharvest.org, btw).
Keep it comin’!
Lisa
That is so cool that your mom used to cook spaghetti squash in the 70s! I think it would taste great with a homemade marinara – you can totally do it Italian style. I can’t wait to hear how this recipe turns out for you – I’m sure you will love it! Very impressive that you make your own spice blends btw!! 🙂
I love spaghetti squash. I usually boil mine, but it seems like it would be easier to bake it. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it looks delicious.
xo, jin
Oh that’s really interesting – I never thought of boiling it as an option! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you Jin!
First of all, I LOVE your blog and actually gave a shout out to your veggie chili recipe just today! I can’t wait to make this dish. I’m a big fan of spaghetti squash, but always make it the same way. Here is a link to the recipe if you want to try something different. https://thevillaclan.blogspot.com/2012/08/ultimate-spaghetti-squash-yumminess.html
Aw thank you so much Cassi!! I’m so glad you like my blog – and thanks for the shout out 🙂 I love what you did with the spaghetti squash in your recipe – the addition of feta and garlic probably gave it some really great flavor!
Spaghetti squash… it is amazing isn’t it?! I did one with meatballs and it was soooo good! I love the mix of spices you have here, bookmarked for sure.
It really is! It’s definitely one of the cooler, more interesting vegetables. I can totally see an Italian/Mediterranean version of this recipe working well! You’ll have to let me know how you like this recipe compared to your original one!
Love this! I’ve never seen/heard of spaghetti squash being prepared this way. I always just cook it, mix it with stuff and voila but I like the idea of recooking it with various spices etc.
Thanks Sara!! Yeah I really liked combining it with spices that have such a deep flavor – it really makes the squash so much more flavorful. Can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
Anjali, this is such an amazing recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us. It just looks incredibly good.
Aw thank you so much Jessie! I’m sure you will love it!
I have also not tried spaghetti squash but have always heard positive things about it. I have come across so many recipes maybe its time I become little bold and try this out too 🙂 thanks for sharing. if its husband approved, then i am sure it is delicious
Thanks Dixya! You should definitely try it at least once – I was surprised as to how easy it was to work with once I roasted it (and after I enlisted the husband’s help in cutting it in half – it was a big squash!) Can’t wait to hear how you like this recipe!
I liked the recepie of Indian Spiced Spaghetti Squash “Pasta”. It looks good and new. I am absolutly going to try it once.
Thanks! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Just bought a spaghetti squash and now I know what I’m doing with it! Like Holly, mine usually consists of tomato sauce and more Mediterranean flavors but that get old after a while. This sounds awesome.
Hehe hooray! I hope you enjoy this new twist on the Mediterranean version 🙂 Thanks Scott!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! Especially now that’s an Indian version. I’ve been wanting to try spaghetti squash, but was looking for a creative recipe that didn’t require tomato sauce. Yay!
Oh yay!! I’m sure you will love it Eisha!
I’ve been nervous about spaghetti squash, too, but since I’ve gone primal, I miss pasta and have been curating spaghetti squash recipes. Apparently, the best and easiest way to make it is to cut it in half, put it face down on paper towels and put it in the microwave for 8 minutes. A FB friend cooks hers this way and immediately switched over from the 40 minutes roasting in the oven routine. Thanks for the recipe. This sounds yummy.
Oh that is such a great tip Jenn!! I had no idea you could effectively “roast” spaghetti squash in the microwave – that’s super cool. I’ll definitely have to try that next time, it certainly cuts down on prep time for this recipe!
I only started eating spaghetti squash this year, too. I usually top mine with a tomato sauce with basil but your Indian spiced version sounds delicious. I’ll have to try that next time.
You know, I was thinking of going Italian originally when I was making this recipe – but then I decided to switch to Indian. You’ll have to tell me which version you like better!