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Spaghetti Squash with Chile-Spiced Pinto Beans

Alert!  This Mexican-flavored spaghetti squash with chile-spiced pinto beans causes purring noises while eating. Really. I’ve heard those contented purrs from across the dinner table! Brick-red chile-spiced beans and golden spaghetti-like strands–this is a gorgeous purr-worthy vegetarian meal.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Pinto Beans in patterned bowl

When cooked, the insides of the oval yellow squash can be separated with a fork into yellow strands that resemble thin spaghetti pasta. Yay for vegetable spaghetti! It’s a perfect low calorie, low carbohydrate vehicle for most any sauce you would serve with pasta. Enchilada-sauced pinto beans are my favorite way to serve spaghetti squash!

Click here to PIN Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Pinto Bean s and Enchilada Sauce!

To serve, scrape the “spaghetti” out into a bowl, top with the sauced beans and garnish with avocado slices and cilantro! Serve this easy wholesome Mexican-food dinner with a mixed greens and veggie salad.

Spaghetti Squash with Pinto Beans in patterned bowl ready to eat

Recipe details for Mexican Spaghetti Squash with chile-spiced pinto beans:

  • You can make this quick and Easy Enchilada Sauce with prepared chili powder to mix it into the creamy beans. More ambitious–make my authentic red enchilada sauce.
  • You can use canned pinto beans or home-cooked pinto beans. If you have black beans on hand, substitute them for the pintos.
  • Bake ahead: Bake the spaghetti squash earlier in the day or the day before. You can rake the strands before or after, just refrigerate, then heat if when you are ready to serve with the pinto beans and enchilada sauce.
  • If you eat cheese, sprinkle on cotija, sharp white cheddar, or jack cheese.

While the squash is in the oven getting nice and tender crunchy, mix the pinto beans and enchilada sauce.

  • Sometimes I’ll finish this dish with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds, or the toasted seeds from inside the spaghetti squash.
  • To toast spaghetti squash seeds: You can save the seeds from the insides of the cooked spaghetti squash. Some strands of squash will cling to the seeds, but you can get the seeds pretty clean by rinsing through a sieve. You don’t need to be anal about it though, the little rogue squash strands still clinging to the seeds will practically disappear in the oven. Toss the rinsed seeds with a bit of oil and kosher salt and dump onto a baking sheet. Bake 5 to 10 minutes, until the seeds are crunchy and very slightly golden.

>>>> Love this recipe for Spaghetti Squash Shakshuka from Kitchen Confidante.

Thanks Mom for introducing us to spaghetti squash.

When I was about 12 years old, my mother joined Weight Watchers. She went to weekly weigh-in pep talks and brought home recipes using nutritious ingredients. Eating along with Mom, my sisters and I learned weight loss tricks and I’ve kept many of those lifestyle food habits my whole life.

spaghetti squash with seeds ready to bake
scraping spaghetti squash strands with a fork

One time Mom came home from her meeting psyched to make spaghetti squash “pasta”, a recipe she’d picked up from her weight-loss “teacher.” We were suspicious this new vegetable would taste like acorn squash, which we thought was awful, even if it was swimming in butter and brown sugar. Mom bathed our newly discovered spaghetti squash with lots of pasta sauce and cheese. We loved it!

I bet you’ll like it this way too, spagetti squash Mexican style, with pinto beans and plenty of enchilada sauce!

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This is an updated January 2014 post, edited with new photos and writing.

11 comments

  • Yum. We get a lot of spaghetti squash in our CSA so I end up freezing quite a bit. We enjoy it many ways but haven’t tried it with enchilada sauce. Thank you. Reply · 25 January, 2014

    • Letty

      Thanks Tammy. Spaghetti squash does freeze well. That was the last of my hoard from autumn farmers market. Reply · 26 January, 2014

  • I like the idea of using spaghetti squash as something besides a substitute for pasta; it goes with so many other flavors. And thanks for the shout-out for for my recipe! Reply · 27 January, 2014

    • Letty

      Thanks Kalyn! Reply · 27 January, 2014

  • I’ve never had spaghetti squash with a Mexican twist. Great idea. Reply · 29 January, 2014

  • Love you and your recipes! Took a pie class from Kitchen Kneads in Logan!!! love your cookbook and recipes!! Can’t wait to make this sauce!!! One of my new favorite things in my kitchen is a Spiralizer!! Thank you Lettie for all your awesome hard work Reply · 8 February, 2015

    • Letty

      Patti,
      Thanks for your note! I am teaching a spring dessert class at LTC in April, or is ti May? I have yet to own a spiralizer–on my list. Reply · 9 February, 2015

  • Spaghetti squash is a staple in my house and this recipe looks so inviting! I’m loving that enchilada sauce! Reply · 21 February, 2019

  • I’m a huge fan of spaghetti squash, and this is so hearty with those pinto beans and enchilada sauce. This is such a satisfying meal! Reply · 27 March, 2019

  • Carolyn Sterrett

    We loved this recipe! And I especially loved how easy it was. I did not make homemade enchilada sauce because I didn’t have the supplies. It was delicious anyways. Will make this again and again! Reply · 24 April, 2020

    • Thank you Carolyn. I found a “clean” enchilada sauce mix at WF. Brand is Los Chileros. Reply · 24 April, 2020

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