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instant pot lentil bolognese
February 20, 2019

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash & Vegan Bolognese

Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Vegetarian Main Dishes Vegetarian Instant Pot
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If you’re an Instant Pot fan, get pumped. I’m excited to share this new recipe for Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash and Lentil Vegan Bolognese with you today!

This lentil bolognese is rich, thick and meaty, but it’s vegan and gluten free, too.

instant pot spaghetti squash and vegan lentil bolognese

Had to have the wine in the photo because this looks like such a fun and fancy dinner! (And it is!)

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash & Vegan Bolognese

Recipes that look fancy but are actually easy are totally my jam.

This dish is comforting and cozy, but also really light and fresh. You can eat the leftovers for lunch and not need a nap 5 minutes later.

If you love bolognese sauce but want to eat less meat, or if you just want to rock some meatless Mondays, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.

And if you don’t want to get on board with the fully meatless approach, you can always add some ground beef, chicken, or turkey into the mix here. It’s like having a classic bolognese sauce, but just more veggie-packed than usual!

instant pot spaghetti squash lentil bolognese

There are two especially exciting things about this recipe.

First, dried lentils (and other dried legumes) are awesome in the Instant Pot (<- affiliate link for the one I have, the 6 quart version). You don’t need to soak them first, and they cook so quickly! 

And second, I’m really excited to have discovered how well spaghetti squash does in the Instant Pot. 

If you love spaghetti squash but don’t love how long it takes to cook, you will also love this recipe! Because the spaghetti squash is cooked whole, and it’s a total win. (No more struggling to cut the squash in half when it’s raw!)

Now, let’s get into how to make the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash & Vegan Bolognese Ingredients

Here’s what you’re working with for this veggie-packed feast:

  • spaghetti squash
  • carrots
  • mushrooms
  • celery
  • lentils
  • crushed tomatoes
  • onion
  • garlic
  • tomato paste
  • Italian seasoning

instant pot spaghetti squash lentil bolognese ingredients

How to Make Spaghetti Squash & Lentil Bolognese in an Instant Pot

To get this recipe going, you’ll want to start with the Instant Pot in “saute” mode.

Simply use it like a normal pan on the stove to saute your onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a little olive oil until soft and fragrant. 

Next, pour in the crushed tomatoes, water, and dry lentils.

Then in goes the spaghetti squash! 

As I mentioned, you leave it whole for now. Just be sure to poke some slits in it with a knife or fork, though, so it doesn’t explode. 🙂

how to cook spaghetti squash in instant pot

Then set it and forget it! 25 minutes on high pressure, and your feast is ready. 

Release the steam, open the lid, remove the spaghetti squash, and cut it in half. (It should be way easier now vs. when it was totally raw). Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and save them if you want to roast them!

Next, use a fork to separate spaghetti-like strands of squash. Then top it with the sauce, and garnish with some parsley if desired.

(If you’re not keeping this recipe vegan, feel free to add some parmesan, too)!

To make this dish more hearty, you can always mix the spaghetti squash with some regular pasta. You do you, friends! 

How to Roast Spaghetti Squash Seeds

To roast the seeds: rinse them off, coat them in a little oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in a sheet pan for 15 to 20 minutes at 275 degrees F. Super easy, and makes for a yummy snack!

instant pot spaghetti squash lentil bolognese

Here’s the full recipe. 

Let me know what you think if you try it!

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash & Lentil Bolognese

instant pot spaghetti squash lentil bolognese3
February 12, 2019 by fANNEtastic food

This rich and meaty lentil bolognese is surprisingly vegan, and cooking the squash whole saves you the tough job of cutting it in half while raw.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
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Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1 cup dry lentils
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • parsley and parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

Instructions:

  1. Set instant pot to the Saute function. Add olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
  2. Add tomato paste and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute, until tomato paste is incorporated. 
  3. Add crushed tomatoes, water, and lentils, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Poke slits in the spaghetti squash all over with a knife, then place in the instant pot on top of the sauce. 
  5. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, until squash is tender and sauce is thickened. Release steam immediately.
  6. Remove squash from instant pot and cut in half. Scoop out seeds with a spoon, then use a fork to separate spaghetti-like strands of squash. 
  7. Serve spaghetti squash topped with sauce and garnish with parsley and parmesan if desired.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Interested in more vegetarian comfort food? Check these recipes out:

  • Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese 
  • “Cheesy” Mushroom Quinoa (vegan, gluten free)
  • Shepherd’s Pie (vegan, gluten free)
  • Walnut and Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas (vegan if omit cheese)
  • Watermelon Rind Curry (vegan, gluten free)
  • Sweet Potato & Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas (vegan if omit cheese)
  • Sweet Potato Lentil Chili (vegan, gluten free)

Ready to make more Instant Pot creations? Here are the previous Instant Pot recipes I’ve shared:

  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup (gluten free) 
  • Instant Pot Vegetable Soup (vegan, gluten free)
  • Maple Mustard Chicken (Instant Pot) (gluten free)
  • Instant Pot Quinoa Fried Rice (gluten free with GF soy sauce)
  • Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup (gluten free) 
  • Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot (gluten free)
  • Instant Pot Farro Risotto with Spring Veggies
  • Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

And lastly, if you like this recipe but want to try a vegan meatball variation instead, here’s a recipe from a fellow blogger to try: easy vegan meatballs.  

- anne
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20 comments
  • Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers
    February 20, 2019 · 10:54AM:
    Making this ASAP!!!!! We've been on a huge lentil kick in our house lately and this looks so, so good!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 21, 2019 · 9:07AM:
      Yay! Let me know how you like it!
      Reply
  • Roadrunner February 20, 2019 · 6:56PM:
    Looks terrific, Anne, thanks. Cannot wait to try it!
    Reply
  • Semolina February 22, 2019 · 9:39AM:
    That recipe sounds awesome. Suggestion: you should add Sweet Potato Lentil Chili to the list of vegetarian comfort food. Totally my favorite thing to have stashed in the freezer.
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 25, 2019 · 9:08AM:
      Great idea! Done. So glad you love that recipe :)
      Reply
  • ashley February 22, 2019 · 3:02PM:
    I made this last night to go with panko encrusted chicken breastes and it will definitely become a side dish in our meal rotation (when squash is available). Hubs and I meal prep Monday-Thursday and generally eat the same thing for dinner because we indulge on the weekends. This was a nice change up from side a salad and roasted vegetables. And +1 for the instapot! Thanks for giving me a new way to cook spaghetti squash
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 25, 2019 · 9:04AM:
      Yay! So glad it was a hit - good idea to enjoy it as a side with chicken, that sounds like a great combo.
      Reply
  • Anjali February 23, 2019 · 8:39AM:
    What type of lentils did you use?
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 25, 2019 · 9:03AM:
      Just regular green lentils.
      Reply
  • Alyssa February 25, 2019 · 2:13PM:
    Any ideas how to adapt this for the slow cooker? Recipe looks great!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 25, 2019 · 3:30PM:
      I don't know how to do the spaghetti squash part, but I would bet doing a standard 7 to 8 hour slow cook on low should do the trick for the bolognese! Let us know how it goes!
      Reply
  • Leighann February 25, 2019 · 9:22PM:
    We don’t do mushrooms.. would you sub with more lentils.... other veggies or maybe make that a meat substitution? I really cannot wait to try.
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 26, 2019 · 3:12PM:
      You can just leave the mushrooms out! You can add more of the other veggies or not!
      Reply
  • Jema March 5, 2019 · 7:05AM:
    Anne, I made this dish last night. It was super easy but more importantly it was delicious. Thank you for another great recipe.
    Reply
    • Anne
      March 5, 2019 · 9:48AM:
      Yay! So glad it was a hit! :)
      Reply
  • Fiona MacDonald March 9, 2019 · 6:21AM:
    I made this for my toddler and my SIL when she was over this week and it was fantastic!!! I was weary ( mostly because I burnt the silly instapot some how) but I cleaned it out popped everything back in and man it was amazing!!!! We all went in for seconds!!! It's going to be on my weekly rotation, I used regular noodles because I didn't have squash and it still was great! Thank you!
    Reply
    • Anne
      March 11, 2019 · 10:49AM:
      Yay, so glad you all liked it! You can try adding a little extra liquid (water or veggie broth) next time to help with the burning situation -- that happened to me once too!
      Reply
  • Danielle November 7, 2019 · 6:54AM:
    I made this last night. I was so excited to try it out. A true one pot dinner. All the flavors were there, but the lentils were undercooked as was the squash and it was burnt on the bottom. I did it in high pressure for 30 minutes, assuming that it would take longer. The steam had all gone out by 28 minutes, at which point I turned it off. I ended up having to slow cook it on the stove to try to finish the lentils and tried to steam the spaghetti on the stove too. We just said they were al dente. I'm hoping the leftovers will be better/softer today. I really loved the idea and the flavors.
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 7, 2019 · 2:32PM:
      That's strange - I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you! I'm wondering if maybe the squash you used was too large? I'm hoping the leftovers are better, too!
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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