Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Spaghetti squash pad Thai is better than takeout and packed with veggies! Made with carrots, peppers, pea pods, and cabbage and a tangy peanut butter pad Thai sauce, you’ll love how nutritious and delicious this spaghetti squash recipe is!

I could go for Thai takeout any time, but when I’m looking for a healthier alternative I’m all about this spaghetti squash pad Thai recipe! Loaded with veggies like carrots, peppers, pea pods, and purple cabbage with a tangy peanut butter pad Thai sauce, I know you will love having this recipe in your back pocket!

Spaghetti squash is a nutritious and low-carb squash that is super versatile and easy to roast. It’s amazing how an unsuspecting squash can suddenly turn into long stringy noodles that look like pasta — I was shocked when I first had it too!

Perfect if you’re looking for a gluten free pasta alternative, or if you’re simply trying to eat more vegetables — spaghetti squash has got you covered.

Made gluten and dairy free, this recipe is also soy free as I used coconut aminos (a soy sauce alternative) instead. If you don’t have one of the vegetables listed in the recipe on hand, don’t fret. Substitute with whatever veggies you have on hand!

Chop, chop! Let’s get to it! I’m also betting you can throw this meal together faster than you can get takeout food delivered these days! Be sure to follow along on Instagram for more FUN ways to eat veggies and healthy treats!

ingredients for spaghetti squash pad thai

• spaghetti squash
• pea pods or snow peas – pea pods add more of a crunch!
• shredded carrot
• purple cabbage
• shiitake mushrooms
• red, yellow & orange peppers
• egg or chicken – leave this recipe vegetarian, or add an egg, or cooked chicken
• creamy unsweetened peanut butter – creamy unsweetened almond butter would also work
• fish sauce
• rice wine vinegar
• fresh ginger
• fresh garlic
• coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• fresh lime
• red pepper flakes
• sesame seeds
• peanuts or cashews
• cilantro

equipment / utensils:

• baking sheet
• spoon + fork
• saute pan

how to roast a spaghetti squash in the oven

Roasting a spaghetti squash is easy! Here’s how to cut and roast a spaghetti squash.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the spaghetti squash on a cutting board. Make sure you have a dish towel underneath the cutting board so it doesn’t move around while you’re cutting.
3. Use a sharp knife to cut the squash lengthwise into two halves.
4. Use a spoon to scoop out the stringy insides and the seeds. Technically you can roast and eat the seeds of a spaghetti squash just like you would with a pumpkin, but I’ve never tried!
5. Drizzle less than a tablespoon of olive oil on top of the two halves and season with salt. It’s important not to over olive oil the squash because you don’t want the noodles to be soggy.
6. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and using your oven mitt, flip the squash over and let it rest on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier for you to get the noodles out.
8. Once the squash has cooled use a fork to scoop out the noodles. Place your fork at the top of the squash and pull down to release long stringy noodles! How cool!

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Maggie Michalczyk, RDN

Spaghetti squash pad Thai is better than takeout and packed with veggies! Made with carrots, peppers, pea pods, and cabbage and a tangy peanut butter pad Thai sauce, you’ll love how nutritious and delicious this spaghetti squash recipe is!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 3 -4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced red yellow and orange peppers (2-3 peppers)
• 3/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 1/2 cup pea pods or snow peas about one small bag
• 2 large eggs
• for the peanut butter pad Thai sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tbsp. creamy unsweetened peanut butter
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• squeeze of fresh lime juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut and scoop out the seeds of the spaghetti squash ( see above in the blog post for my method for cutting a spaghetti squash). Season with olive oil and salt and bake cut side down for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.
• While the spaghetti squash is cooking prepare your veggies and make the pad Thai sauce. 
• Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside. Wash and chop the veggies and add to a sauté pan. 
• Use a fork to scrape the “noodles” out of the spaghetti squash. Add the noodles to the sauté pan and begin to mix everything together over medium-low heat. Add the sauce and continue mixing together so that all of the veggies are covered. Sautee for a 3-4 minutes. You want the veggies to be somewhat tender but not too mushy. 
• Cook scrambled eggs in a separate pan, leaving them a little undercooked. Slice into pieces and add to the spaghetti squash mixture. Saute for about one more minute until everything is combined. 
• Remove from heat add to a bowl or back into your spaghetti squash shell. Top with crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, a wedge of lime and hot sauce if desired. Enjoy! 

Notes

If you have a particularly large spaghetti squash, you may need to up the vegetables and double the sauce recipe. Sometimes they are huge, which gives you lots of noodles! 

Keyword spaghetti squash pad thai

more veggie-forward recipes you’re sure to love

• lettuce free chickpea & tomato salad {GF}
• Mediterranean chickpea salad {GF}
• Delicata squash rings {GF}
• Avocado fries {GF & DF}

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