Just waaaayy too busy being delicious and nutritious over here to bother with good looks. I know, this recipe is not very photogenic. But, actually… The longer you stare at it… It kind of becomes beautiful. All golden-bubbly and cheesy, full of a super-savory leek, onion, and kale mixture, with a little extra cheese mixed in for more yum.
Ugh, OK, I’m in love. This really is so good and filling and satisfying while still packing a healthy punch. All the prep work on this cheesy green filling of kale, leeks, and onion can be done while the squash roasts. So, in just a little over an hour, you can be digging into veggie-loaded goodness.
There’s not too much muscle involved here because you use your food processor to rip the kale and onion to tiny shreds. Cut the leeks into thin slices and sauté all of that in a pan, just until its liquid evaporates. (This happens to be the same filling for these party-friendly stuffed mushrooms, minus the cream cheese.)
When the squash is done roasting, do that fun thing of shredding it with a fork and add all the golden, tender strands of squash to the kale mixture. Throw in some mozzarella and Parmesan and mix to combine. Then, load it all back into the squash shell and cover with more mozz and parm. Bake for a few more minutes before blasting the top with the broiler until bubbly brown and delicious.
If you cut each half of the squash in half after roasting, it works as a side dish. Or leave them whole to make it a meal. In my experience, even your anti-vegetable friends will love this. #winner Enjoy!
*This post contains Amazon Affiliate links!
PrintCheesy Kale-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Healthy spaghetti squash stuffed with a kale, onion, and leek combo for tons of flavor. And, a bubbly, cheesy crust to seal the deal!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes (Other prep is done while squash cooks)
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings as a side, 2 as a main course 1x
- Category: Side dish, vegetarian main dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash, sliced in half lengthwise with seeds scooped out
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 lb kale, chopped
- 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
- 1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced (I’ve also used 1 bunch of scallions in place of leeks)
- a few grates of nutmeg
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3/4 C shredded mozzarella, divided
- 3/4 C shredded Parmesan, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle squash with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast until tender when poked with a pairing knife, about 45 minutes.
- While squash cooks, pulse kale and onion in a food processor until finely chopped – do this in batches. Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped kale mixture, leeks, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often until kale is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool while squash finishes cooking.
- Remove squash from oven and carefully scoop out the insides; add to the bowl with the kale mixture. Leave the outer shell of the squash in tact so you have a nice shell to hold your filling. Gently stir the kale and squash together – use two forks to separate the strands of spaghetti squash and get it mixed evenly with the kale. Stir in most of the mozzarella and Parmesan, leaving some for the topping. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Fill the shells of the squash with your cheesy kale/squash mixture, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and kale, return to the oven for 10 minutes. Switch the oven to broil for an additional 5 minutes to brown the tops. Enjoy!