Creamy Alfredo Spaghetti Squash Bake
Well well well! An Alfredo sauce that skips the heavy cream and replaces it with the creaminess of cashews. My world is complete! Creamy Alfredo Spaghetti Squash Bake is all the right flavors you love about any and everything alfredo wrapped up neatly in whole plant-based eating!
When prepping this recipe, you will notice there are several steps involved. My favorite hack is the overnight soaking of the cashews. The reason recipes ask for raw cashews to be soaked overnight is so that they are soft. However, you can achieve this just as easy by getting double amount of water boiling add cashews and let them boil for 5 minutes. Remove them from the heat and let them set another 5 minutes in the water and bingo soft cashews. I will admit they have retained more nutrients when they are not boiled, but hey when you need creamy cashew alfredo sauce, and you NEED IT NOW…this trick works very well!
If you are part of the 27 Day Real Food Challenge this is real food at it’s best and most flavorful!
Creamy Alfredo Spaghetti Squash Bake
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or boiled for 5 minutes
½ onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
¼ cup nutritional yeast
juice from half of a lime
½ tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
10 crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 cups raw spinach
4 tbs fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Pre heat oven to 425°. Half squash lengthwise through the stem and remove all seeds. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat both pieces of the squash meat with olive oil and place flat side down on baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes.
While squash is roasting, in a large skillet heat chicken/veggie stock to a slight boil. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until both are soft. Add cashews and cook additional 2 minutes. Add skillet mixture to high-speed blender with nutritional yeast, juice from lime, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Blend until it becomes a creamy smooth alfredo sauce. Add more lime or yeast slowly to get the perfect flavor if needed.
In the same large skillet add remaining olive oil. Once heated add spinach and mushrooms sauté until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once squash is cooked remove from oven but leaves oven on. With a fork work at the edges begin to scrape the inside gently. This will give you spaghetti-like strands. Work slowly and gently remove 90% of spaghetti strands, set the squash bowls aside. Add spaghetti strands to large mixing bowl, add cashew sauce, and sautéed veggies. Mix gently and well.
Fill squash bowls with the mixture. Place them back on baking sheet. Top with grated Parmesan and bake 15 – 20 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.
Each squash half serves 1. This recipe serves 2.
