Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
You guys are so smart.
Me? Not so much.
After I nearly lost a thumb the last time I made spaghetti squash, hackin’ away at it like a crazy machete wielding banshee, you all said, “Lady, just bake it whole.”
Uh, yeah.
So that was a lot easier.
And then just last week, my friend Dorian nudged me via Twitter, saying, “I feel like Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai would be amazing.”
I just so happened to have a spaghetti squash on my counter.
So danged smart.
Even though I was smart enough to bake my spaghetti squash rather than risk never being able to give my children a thumbs-up during swim lessons again, I was still dumb enough to give Dorian this reply Tweet, and I quote:
“Your a genius.”
Clearly, I am not. (But spellcheck is, because I just had to type “your” four times to convince it not to correct it to “you’re.” Where were you a week ago spellcheck, where?!)
But all hope is not lost!
After all, I listened to the wise.
I made Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai.
I ate Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai.
And, well, it’s kind of brilliant.
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Makes 4 entrée sized servings
***View Nutrition Facts!***
For the stir-fry:
- 1 large spaghetti squash (should yield about 8 c. of “noodles”)
- 2 c. broccoli florets
- 1 c. carrots, peeled and cut into coins
- 1 1/2 c. sugar snap peas
For the sauce:
- 3 T. hoisin sauce
- 1/3 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce, tamari or aminos
- 1/3 c. organic ketchup
- 1/3 c. fresh lime juice
- 1/3 c. warm water
- 3 T. organic sugar or stevia equivalent
Garinshes: lime wedges, cilantro. mint and peanuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce the spaghetti squash with a knife or a fork in several places and bake whole for 60-80 minutes or until the flesh can be pierced with a knife. Allow squash to cool. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon and discard. Using a fork, scrape out the squash into strands and fluff. Set aside.
Spray a large skillet or wok with cooking spray or a light mist of oil and place over medium-high heat. Sauté broccoli, carrots and snap peas until tender crisp, about 4-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by whisking together hoisin, soy sauce, tamari or aminos, ketchup, lime juice water and sweetener.
Add the spaghetti squash “noodles” and sauce to the pan with the vegetables and heat thoroughly. If sauce seems thin, simmer until it has thickened slightly. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges, chopped cilantro, chopped mint and peanuts at the table for garnish, if desired.
Oh my goodness isn’t strong enough! This looks like an OMG recipe to me. Thank you!!!
Hope you love it!
Oh my god, I need to make this. What a great idea! Yum!
I know, you guys are so smart.
I’ve been a lurker blog reader for the longest time. But this recipe has brought me out. It looks utterly amazing. I’ve been making the shift to a plant based diet. Next time I’m out shopping, spaghetti squash is on the list!! Ilove your stories. What an inspiration you are. Thank you!!
Thanks for saying “hi,” Bonnie! I’m glad you’ve found us a helpful resource and hopefully a fun one too. Have a great night!
Looks yummy! I might add a little fried tofu…. nomnomnom….
Go for it, girl!
This is a very smart recipe! I’m doing low-carb paleo right now, so with a few tweaks this could be my dinner this week!
Oh good, hope you love it, friend!
thankyouthankyouthankyou — this looks amazing, and will be made soon!
you’rewelcomeyou’rewelcomeyou’rewelcome!
haha
Mmmmmm! I just baked my Spag Squash 2 days ago and have one serving left. AND I have all of these ingredients! Brilliant! IT sounds soo good….
Now that is serendipitous!
Love it!!!! I made a pad thai with zucchini noodles, and it was fantastic, too! Veggie noodles are the best. And now that winter squash are in season, this is perfect.
I love the zucchini idea too!
This IS genius! You may not have had the the idea first, but you most definitely pulled it off! I can’t wait to try this
I’ve been a carb fiend the last few days, this is perfect to change things up!
But after mass quantities of Halloween candy, of course.
Don’t think badly of me…what does spaghetti squash taste like? Does it has a mild taste or really strong? I’d like to give it a try and have even bought it before but never knew what to do with it. It always makes me nervous.
I think it has a very mild squash taste…not sweet really, just a little green tasting? I can’t really describe it, but once you get your toppings on it, you barely notice the flavor!
So clever. Your brilliant. You’re brilliant, too!
hee hee
Even easier way to make spaghetti squash: in the microwave! All you have to do is poke it a few times with a knife, put it in the microwave for about 10 minutes…ta-da!
That should be ERIKA. Apparently, I need spell check for my name.
Thanks, Eriak or Erika. You both are awesome.
This sounds amazing and I just so happen to have a spagetti squash kicking around the house. Think I will be making this very soon!! Thanks.
Oh good! Enjoy!
Thank you! I have two spaghetti squashes on my counter and, until now, had no interesting preparation ideas. Your timing could not be better
Nice! Hope you love it, Gwen.
SOOO happy to have a new dinner recipe from you! I made your “spaghetti squash casserole” a couple months ago which was my “first” spaghetti squash experience and goodness gracious was that yummo. This recipe looks so easy, thank you for sharing!
I’m happy to be your first and your second experience.
Also…your food styling & photography on this recipe look fabulous! Love the accessories & the steam rising, very cool!
Thanks!
I have spaghetti squash from my garden and was looking for a new way to make it and now I know what I am making for dinner tomorrow night. It looks yummy. Also I want you to know how much I love your blog and all the yummy things you have on it. Keep up the great work.
I made almost this exact meal the other night, but I stirred peanut butter and siracha into the sauce!
Oooh, I like the sound of that!
Did you pierce the spaghetti squash with a fork before baking it? I think I cut mine in half, last time I cooked spaghetti squash.
Oh yes, I should have mentioned that! I’ll edit the post, thanks!
I have never had any sort of pad Thai before. It looks delicious!
What?! You need to get on that, girl. Portland has some crazy delicious Thai places!
I made a version of this tonight! Even my kiddos love it
You are fast, lady! Well done.
This looks incredible!! The squash baked whole, yes! I can hardly even Whack through! a big butternut or spaghetti squash. Trying to quarter them while still raw is practically impossible for me without feeling way too unwieldy with my knife.
The sauce sounds perfect, and the carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas – winner!
I don’t know why I haven’t always done it this way. Easy peasy!
I have always thought about using spaghetti squash for pad thai! I’m so glad you did because now I’m more inclined to give it a try too.
Well, aren’t you smart!
Oh my goodness you’re so lovely for sharing this recipe! My husband is going to loooove this dish, yay!
I mixed some regular rice noodles into Chris’s the next day to “beef” it up and he liked it both ways!
YUM!!!!!! I’m making this soon. Tomorrow is grocery shopping time and now you inspired me! That is a feat in itself because my meal planning has been very UNinspiring. (That’s putting it mildly).
I need to plan for next week too. Something that doesn’t involve Kit Kats.
I thought I had pretty much seen it all with spaghetti squash but this is genius! Grammar errors and all
It’s actually quite fantastic!
i tried the baking it whole thing and it’s CRAZY how much easier it is. but the pad thai thing is just crazy genius…pinning!
SUPER brilliant. And yeah…baking a spaghetti squash intact?! Why didn’t I know about this. Game changer.
That looks tasty, but hoisin, ketchup and mint? That’s not pad thai.
Agreed. But when you can’t find tamarind anywhere in these parts and have been at the Pumpkin Patch with kindergarteners all day (love!), you use ketchup and smile big.
Maybe this is a dumb question… But what do you do with the seeds when you roast a squash whole?? I love roasting squash seeds and can’t imagine digging through a whole squash!!
No dumb questions around here, Justine. I just dump the seeds, but I bet you could still roast them!
Hi Justine! I made this last night and roasted the seeds from my spaghetti squash! It’s a little ooey gooey, but worth it for the delicious roasted seeds. I cooked the squash whole first, scooped out the seeds and set them aside while I made the pad thai, and then came back to the seeds after eating dinner. Good luck!
What a genius idea. I love pad Thai in general
And the using of sphagetti squash makes mr
Want to make it right now. Great pics
I love using spaghetti squash as a base for marinara sauce. This sounds like a tasty variation. So healthy. Thanks for sharing!=)
Oh that looks wonderful – and what a great idea! I have a spaghetti squash on my counter…has only been there since Saturday and it has a giant rotten/soft spot in it. I am totally bummed and totally don’t understand why it rotted so fast. Anyways, this definitely goes on the menu for next week – thanks so much! I still make your spaghetti squash bake with broccoli a LOT. It is the perfect after work meal!
I think you’ll love this one too, Christine!
Oh Mama Pea…You are a genius! I can not wait to make this. I don’t like the whole spaghetti squash and marinara scenario, but I think that as Pad Thai it might just work for me. Thank you for helping a chubby girl eat healthier!
You could always mix in some rice noodles too, if you think the 100% squash route is too….squashy.
Wowowowowowowoow, this looks absolutely amazing. I lived in Thailand for six months and did a lot of cooking (learning from locals – I can speak Thai fairly well) but I’ve never seen anything that looks THIS amazing.
I’m sure this is not anywhere near what you ate in Thailand, but it’s pretty easy and tasty!
I made this over the weekend and if I had eaten it in Thailand it would have ranked in my top 10 best dishes.
Ohh this sounds and looks super yummy! I just had my first experience with spaghetti squash a couple weeks ago and surprisingly loved it – it was so good!
I can’t wait to make this!! I actually made spaghetti squash with creamy tofu pesto the other night. Such a great plant food! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Oh yum, I love pesto! I’ll have to scout out your recipe.
such a great idea to make it with spaghetti squash! I can’t wait to try it!!
And I know you will… Miss you, friend!
First, you make amazing pumpkin cupcakes and now this?! A low fat, healthy vegetarian pad thai — I think I love you
Don’t fight that feeling, Andrea.
OMG this looks utterly fantastic- I literally couldn’t hit the “Pin it” button fast enough! Can’t wait to make asap! And I had no idea you could just stick the whole squash in the oven- I’m always wielding that knife like a crazy person trying to make sure the squash doesn’t roll around in the process!
I just bought my first spaghetti squash and adore Pad Thai it’s kismet!!
Genius indeed! Yummy!
Mama Pea! I made this last night and it was delicious! I added tofu that I sauteed with soy sauce which worked out well. I had a little too much liquid, but maybe my squash just wasn’t as big as yours. It didn’t say in the recipe, but how long did you simmer it for after you added the sauce? Maybe in this lies my problem! Thank you for this wonderful recipe that became my delicious dinner last night!
Glad you liked it, Sarah! I simmered it until the sauce was a bit thicker. Maybe I’ll add that to the directions. My squash yielded about 8 cups of “noodles.” Hope that helps and thank you for the feedback!
i feel like this would revolutionize LA – i live right by thai town!
Wow. You read my mind. I have spaghetti squash already cooked in my fridge and I’ve been yearning for some not-so-carbtastic pad thai. Your amazing.
This is a delicious recipe! The pics are amazing too btw! Makes it all the more appealing! Definitely need to make this one!
We’ve been eating so much spaghetti squash lately, this is a great idea! I almost sliced the end of my finger off chopping cilantro last week. Oy.
Oh no! Stupid cilantro. Hope you stay safe with this one.
Oh wow – this. looks. incredible!! I’ve been too scared to try spaghetti squash!! And I could eat thai food daily
so… i think this might help me take the plunge!!
Do it.
genius. pure genius. I love spaghetti squash, but not so much Italian food, so I am absolutely in love with a recipe that uses the delicious squash but isn’t Italian!
Oh my golly, I just made this for dinner and it was suuuuuper awesome!! I forgot how much I loved spaghetti squash. So versatile. Thanks for the inspiration:)
So glad you enjoyed it, Laura!
I made this last night with my boyfriend (amazingly, I am with a wonderful man who actually encourages me to eat MORE vegetables than I am inclined to) and WOW, SARAH. This recipe was so yummy! We ate and ate and ate and…. alas, no lunch leftovers. I am craving it again already. Hmmm…perhaps for dinner tomorrow night. I shared with a few friends too! Somehow the Spaghetti Squash was even more sumptuous than regular pad thai noodles.
Emily, that’s just fantastic. I’m so glad you guys loved it and I really am tickled by your feedback!
Made this tonight and it was excellent. I have already sent the link to friends. So, so delicious!
Great! Thank you, Caroline.
Made this tonight and thought it was pretty good. It was a little salty for my taste (I don’t eat a ton of salt), so I would probably reduce the soy salt next time. Otherwise, great way to use spaghetti squash since I always buy them, but don’t love the marinara combo.
I just picked up a Hugh Jass spaghetti squash yesterday. After a sleepless night of scrolling through my favorite foodie blogs, I came across this brilliance. Picked up some of the ingredients that I didn’t have, and this will definitely be made this week. You friggin rock!
- Lauren
P.S. Those spaghetti squash just want to watch the world burn sometimes. Glad your thumb lives to chop another day.
Yes! I hope you love it and I’m proud to have given you a use for that enormous squash of yours!
I made this for supper tonight, so of course there were a few “taste testers.”
Thanking the foodie gods and goddesses for you right now. Thanks again!!
- Lauren
love me some spaghetti squish.
Tomorrow….this will be dinner tomorrow. We have been carb overloaded after living from our pantry post hurricane….powers back and we need veggies!!! Thanks for the great idea…can’t wait!
Hope your marathon went well! I’ve only ever made “Italian” style dishes with spaghetti squash but that Pad Thai sounds yummy!
This turned out AMAZING! I didnt have ketchup but the sauce was still awesome–cant wait to keep making this through the fall and winter! Thanks for the great dish!!
I tried spaghetti squash for the first time a couple weeks ago (I know, I’m a little late to the party), but I just kind of added a bunch of random items to make a dish. It was tasty, but I’d like to maybe follow a recipe next time. Me thinks it will be this
Finally made this after staring at it bookmarked since you posted. I was skeptical because I am far from a cook.. but wow. SO GOOD. you are brilliant.
Hardly. But thank you! I’m glad you liked it!
I’ve never commented before but felt that I had to after making this recently for dinner. It was delicious! I would have normally been a little intimidated to cook a spaghetti squash but this made it seem so easy. Thank you for writing such approachable recipes. We’ll definitely be making this one again soon!
Thank you, Kathleen. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
This is SO brilliant! I have a spaghetti squash and a few of these ingredients; I just might have to make an adaptation of this dish for lunch with what I have on hand. Thanks for the inspiration!
I am going to make this for lunch next week! Do you think it would be okay if i make it on a Saturday for a lunch on Monday?!
Can’t wait, thanks:)
I give most dishes 4-5 days in the fridge, so you should be good!
Just made this spaghetti squash pad thai tonight. The concept is excellent. I did think there was a little too much acid in the sauce. In the next round I think I will cut the 1/3 cup lime juice to 2 tablespoons and see how that goes.