Recipe

Vegan Pesto Spaghetti Squash Bake

By Kristine Mahan at Boston University

This heavenly vegan dish is a cross between lasagna and baked ziti… Minus the pasta, cheese and marinara. Instead, you’ll be learning how to roast spaghetti squash and the art of making vegan cheese; in this case, it’s tofu “ricotta.” Using dairy free pesto puts a fresh twist on tradition making this vegan pesto spaghetti squash bake innovative without sacrificing flavor.

Baked Vegan Pesto Spaghetti Squash

  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Servings: 9
  • Medium
Ingredients
  • 2 spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup vegan pesto
  • 1 block pressed firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds. Brush the insides with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.

Step 2

Line a baking tray and place squash with the flesh facing down. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and roast for 45 minutes.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 3

While the squash are roasting, make the “ricotta.” Place tofu, nutritional yeast, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon pesto, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into a blender or food processor.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 4

Pulse until consistency resembles conventional ricotta cheese.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 5

When the squash comes out of the oven, begin loosening flesh with a fork in a scraping motion.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 6

Using a baking dish, begin layering. Start with the flesh of one of the squash halves. Dollop tofu “ricotta” and pesto, then move onto another layer of squash.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 7

Continue this process until all the squash is used. I always have some tofu ricotta leftover, it gets repurposed into dishes later in the week.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

Step 8

Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes loosely covered with aluminum foil.

Photo by Kristine Mahan

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