Spaghetti Squash and Balsamic Beans

This has to be one of my ALL TIME favorite meals.  The sweet of the red pepper and spaghetti squash paired with the salty beans and sour from the balsamic dressing is the absolute perfect blend of flavors.  I’m obsessed.  I know it sounds weird at first.  I didn’t think I would even like it, and now I make it all winter long and I have been for years.

I love spaghetti squash, especially when its roasted to a beautiful golden brown.  And it’s so simple to just throw it in the oven and pour on some pasta sauce and have an easy vegetarian meal with very little work on my part.  But sometimes you just need a little more.  Adding beans to the mix makes this much more filling and the flavor of the balsamic instead of boring old pasta sauce makes this irresistible!

There are lots of ways to cook spaghetti squash:  in a dutch oven on the stove, steam it in the microwave, in the crock pot, etc.  But my absolute favorite is roasting it in the oven, brushed with olive oil (no water).  Most of the other methods use water which makes the spaghetti strands watery.  Roasting it has the opposite effect, and since some of the water evaporates, it makes the sweet flavor of the squash more pronounced.  It does take quite a bit longer than the other methods (about an hour) but it is totally worth it, in my opinion.  If you are short on time, the microwave is the fastest method and it can be steamed face-down in an inch of water in only 15 minutes.

Cook the Squash.  Start by cutting the squash in half length-wise and scooping out the seeds and pulp with a large spoon.  Drizzle or brush on a little bit of olive oil and place it in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet, cut side down.  Roast in the middle of a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the squash.  You can tell the squash is done when the outer shell can be pressed in easily with your finger and the cut side is golden brown.  If the cut side starts to get too brown and the squash is not fully cooked, just turn it cut-side-up for the remainder of the cooking time.

Cook the Red Pepper and Beans.  While the squash is cooking, heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Add the red pepper and sauté until it’s soft.  Remove the pepper from the pot and set aside the pepper but keep the pot and fill with about 2 quarts of water and the frozen lima beans.  The water should cover the lima beans plus one inch.  Cover and cook according to package directions (usually 5-10 minutes but it can vary greatly depending on the size of the lima beans).   Add the kidney beans during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Make the Dressing.  While the beans are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

Put it all Together.  Once the beans are done cooking, drain off the water and add the red pepper and dressing.  Toss to combine.

Serve 1/4 of the spaghetti squash topped with 1/4 of the bean mixture.  Top with feta cheese if desired.

My kiddos don’t care for this combination of flavors, specifically the balsamic vinegar, so I always set some of the spaghetti squash and beans aside and they eat a “deconstructed” version, a serving of beans on one side of the plate and spaghetti squash on the other with just a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of feta.  They like their food segregated.  So if you have picky eaters, try offering it that way.

Let me know what you thought of this recipe in the comments below.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Print Recipe

Spaghetti Squash and Balsamic Beans

A delicious combination of spaghetti squash, sweet red peppers, kidney beans and lima beans tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Gluten free, dairy free and grain free, it will make a healthy dinner that fills you up.

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 2 cups frozen baby lima beans (about a 10 or 11 oz. package)
• 1 14 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• olive oil
• feta cheese (optional)

Balsamic Dressing

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt

Course Main Dish Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients 1 medium spaghetti squash 1 sweet red pepper, diced 2 cups frozen baby lima beans (about a 10 or 11 oz. package) 1 14 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained olive oil feta cheese (optional) Balsamic Dressing 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tsp dijon mustard 2 tsp honey 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a large spoon. Brush with olive oil and place, cut side down, in a large roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Squash is done when the shell is soft and can be pressed in and the cut side is golden brown.
2. While the squash is cooking, cook the red pepper in a medium pot over medium heat until soft. Set aside the pepper but save the pot.
3. In the same pot you used for the pepper, put the lima beans and enough water to cover them plus one inch. Cook according to package directions (about 5-7 minutes) adding the kidney beans during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
4. While the beans are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.
5. When the beans are done, drain, add dressing and red pepper and toss to combine.
6. Serve 1/4 of the spaghetti squash topped with 1/4 of the bean mixture. Top with feta cheese if desired.

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