Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Hearty. Warming. Creamy.

Pretty much the perfect trio for any meal during the cold winter months. I love having my Spaghetti Squash Alfredo weekly because it’s oh so delicious and satiates my cravings for creamy pasta.

Growing up, fettuccine alfredo was my all time favourite meal. I’d pour on a mountain of parmesan and be the happiest person alive. But, unfortunately, being celiac and having a dairy intolerance doesn’t play so well well my most loved pasta dish.

Healthy Substitutes for Noodles & Cream

Grains don’t sit well with my digestive system, so spaghetti squash is the perfect substitute for hearty noodles! When roasted, you’re able to use a fork to pull the squash into spaghetti-like strands. The colour even resembles that of pasta. While it won’t have the same texture of traditional noodles, it does the trick in my books.

Plus, I don’t have that heavy feeling in my stomach after eating a big plate of spaghetti squash as I did with wheat-based pasta.

I make a creamy dairy-free alfredo in two ways. If I’m feeling like a heavier protein-rich sauce (and have the time to soak the nuts), I’ll thin down my Rosemary Cashew Cheese recipe with a bit of water. But, if I’m short on time and want a lighter sauce I use cauliflower as my base.

I know. What can’t cauliflower do these days?

When combined with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and bone broth the pureed cauliflower turns into a delicious alfredo sauce. And it’s also up-ing my vegetable intake for the day — and my toddlers #momwin.

Beauty Boosting Nutrients

In my program The Clear Skin Solution, we’re all about clear skin from the inside out. So whenever there’s a recipe that’s good for your skin, I’m sure to share it with you!

So let’s break the beautiful benefits of this recipe.

Spaghetti squash is a great source of both vitamin A and C which are exceptional for your skin! And cauliflower also boasts a generous serving of vitamin C.

• Vitamin A → crucial for helping prevent cellular damage to the skin
• Vitamin C → essential for collagen production that promotes wound healing and skin repair

Let’s not forget about the detoxifying powers of good ol’ cauliflower either. Being part of the cruciferous family of vegetables, this white vegetable is full of antioxidants that support your body’s Phase 1 detoxification as well as sulfur nutrients that are key players in your phase 2 detoxification.

In regular terms, cauliflower is a detox powerhouse. You want to be helping your body effectively detoxify every day to help keep your skin clear. A body that can’t properly detoxifying uses your skin as a last resort.

What about my parm?!

I won’t leave you hangin’ on this one. Everyone knows pasta is not complete without parmesan. But again, being dairy-free I had to adapt.

There are many similar versions of vegan parmesan out there, but I find this ratio of raw cashews and nutritional yeast to seasoning the best! You can store any extra in a small mason jar in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks.

Cashews are also a plant-based source of protein, which is a macronutrient you need to be including at every meal!

Make It Your Own

I usually pair this with roasted chicken or scallops for a larger serving of protein, but feel free to use your own favourite to make it a complete meal. I also mix it up by adding in some sauteed veggies or steam broccoli to really bulk it up.

Try having it alongside a big salad using my Creamy Hemp Heart Caesar Dressing for an anti-inflammatory twist on a classic meal.

Looking for a cashew-based Alfredo sauce? Check out this recipe.

Dairy-Free Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

A decadent and rich dairy-free spaghetti squash alfredo made with creamy cauliflower, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

For the spaghetti squash:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• Sprinkle unrefined sea salt

For the sauce:

• 1 medium cauliflower about 6 cups
• 1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup full fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp unrefined sea salt depending on preference
• 1-2 garlic cloves depending on preference
• ½ cup baby spinach thinly sliced (optional topping)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (optional topping)

For the vegan parmesan

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp unrefined sea salt

Instructions

For the squash:

• Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard.
• Drizzle avocado oil and sprinkle sea salt over the two halves of spaghetti squash.
• Place face down on the baking sheet and pop into the oven.
• Roast for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and use a fork to pull the strands of the spaghetti squash into ribbons.

For the alfredo sauce:

• Chop the cauliflower in florets and steam for 6-8 minutes. You can also boil the florets, but adjust the bone broth later in the recipe because the cauliflower may become waterlogged.
• Place in a food processor or high-speed blender with all the remaining sauce ingredients except the spinach and parsley. Blend until well combined. I usually start the sauce in the food processor for easier mixing, but then pour it into my Vitamix to get a super smooth texture.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

For the parmesan:

• Add all the ingredients to a small food processor or blender.
• Blend until the cashews are very fine or resemble a powder.

To assemble:

• You can either use the shell of the squash as a bowl or scoop spaghetti squash ribbons into bowls.
• Pour desired amount of sauce on top and garnish with spinach and parsley.
• Sprinkle with vegan parmesan.
• Serve.

Notes

Any unused alfredo sauce can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days or frozen for later use.