Name: Spaghetti squash and black-bean bowls with pepitas
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 stuffed squash halves
Ingredients: 2 spaghetti squash, about 2 lb each, halved and seeded; 2 tbsp olive oil for squash; 1/2 tsp fine salt for squash; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 cups shredded purple cabbage; 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 1/3 cup sliced scallions; 1/3 cup chopped cilantro for slaw; 2 tbsp lime juice for slaw; 1 tsp olive oil for slaw; 1/4 tsp fine salt for slaw; 3/4 cup mild vegetarian salsa verde; 1 avocado; 1/3 cup cilantro for sauce; 1 tbsp lime juice for sauce; 1 garlic clove; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/4 tsp cumin; 1 tsp lime zest

Spaghetti squash and black-bean bowls with pepitas

Cumin-toasted pepitas and lime zest finish the black-bean squash bowls.

Published October 28, 2026

4 stuffed squash halves · Estimated 1 hour 40 minutes

Roasted spaghetti squash topped with black beans, purple-cabbage slaw, green avocado sauce and toasted pepitas.

Ingredients & method

Before you start: Prepare and preheat: 20 minutes Roast: 1 hour Make toppings and assemble: 20 minutes Use the listed ingredient state: dry, cooked, thawed, drained or squeezed. Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens. Do not scale oven times in direct proportion to ingredients. Times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.

Equipment: Two rimmed sheets; blender; small skillet

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Method

Cups and spoons are US measures. Weights on cans refer to package contents before draining unless a drained weight is specified. Check packaged ingredients for allergens.

Heat oven to 400°F conventional. Rub the squash with the 2 tbsp olive oil for squash, 1/2 tsp fine salt for squash and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place cut-side down on lined sheets and roast 40–60 minutes until the flesh is easily pierced.
Make the slaw by mixing the 2 cups shredded purple cabbage, drained black beans, chopped red bell pepper, 1/3 cup sliced scallions, 1/3 cup chopped cilantro for slaw, 2 tbsp lime juice for slaw, 1 tsp olive oil for slaw and 1/4 tsp fine salt for slaw. Make the sauce by blending the 3/4 cup salsa verde, avocado, 1/3 cup cilantro for sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice for sauce and garlic clove until smooth.
Toast the 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet for 3–4 minutes. Add the 1/4 tsp cumin during the final 20 seconds of toasting; remove from heat and mix in the 1 tsp lime zest.
Fluff squash strands with a fork, keeping the shells intact. Divide slaw and sauce among four halves, then scatter over the seeds.

Recipe note: Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers; use within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. Count storage from the original cooking date when using leftovers. Refrigerate perishable cooked dishes in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F; keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below.

Keep the four squash halves stable

Use the two sheets so the halves have room to sit cut-side down. The recipe’s squash weight is for each whole fruit; the cabbage, beans and sauce make the filling afterward. Roast until the flesh is easily pierced rather than stopping because the surface has colored.

When turning the halves, use oven gloves and a supporting utensil. Let excess steam escape before fluffing the strands. Scrape gently enough to loosen the flesh without tearing the shells that will hold the finished bowls.

Keep the crisp and creamy elements separate

Measure the lime and cilantro for the slaw separately from the amounts for the sauce. Blend the avocado sauce until smooth, then leave the slaw unblended. The contrast is part of the bowl: squash strands underneath, crisp cabbage and beans, then the creamy topping.

Watch the pumpkin seeds during their brief toast and add cumin only near the end as directed. Move them off the heat before adding lime zest. If making fewer servings now, keep the extra slaw, sauce and cooked squash separately refrigerated instead of filling every shell hours before it is wanted.