First generation Dominican Afro-Latina. Bronx Native. Rugby player. Former teacher. Product of NYCHA.
As a NASM certified personal trainer and a certified physical and health education teacher, I have a different approach to fitness for women that goes against the status quo, especially in the Afro Latina/Caribbean space. Instead of focusing on losing weight, eating very few calories, and obsessing over the scale, I see fitness as a tool for women to build confidence.
I’ve never really been a spaghetti girl. I know, I know… I’m Dominican, and we loooove espagueti. It’s basically a love language in our culture 😏 creamy, saucy and served with salami or fried cheese on the side. But let me tell you why I have such an aversion to spaghetti and pasta in general (besides being gluten-free now because of my PCOS).
When I was little, I had a babysitter who served us canned ravioli or spaghetti every single day. Every. Day. To the point where I literally couldn’t look at pasta without my stomach turning and I used to puke every time she fed it to me. It’s dramatic, I know, but that’s childhood trauma right there haha.
Fast forward to adulthood, and I started finding ways to reconnect with comfort foods on my own terms. Foods that still feel nostalgic, but don’t make me feel weighed down physically or emotionally. Enter: this Red Pepper Picadillo Spaghetti Squash.
If you grew up Caribbean, you know picadillo is that go-to weeknight meal your mom or tía would throw together with whatever ground meat was in the fridge. Picadillo has roots all over Latin America and the Caribbean from Cuba and Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic; each version with its own twist. My take keeps it traditional at the core: sofrito, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf, cooked down until the meat is rich and flavorful.
But instead of serving it with rice or spaghetti, I’m pairing it with perfectly roasted spaghetti squash and a roasted red pepper sauce that you’ll want to put on everything. Sometimes tomato bases give me crazy acid reflux but none of that with this! You’ll be shocked by how delicious spaghetti squash can be when it’s cooked just right! Al dente, never mushy and tossed in a silky, smoky sauce made from roasted bell peppers, garlic and onions.
The result? A cozy, veggie-forward meal that feels like comfort food but keeps things light and balanced. It’s gluten-free, high in fiber and loaded with color for a serving of veggies in every bite. Plus, its high protein, can’t forget that you know! This is the kind of dish you’ll want to make on repeat all fall and winter long. Check out the recipe down below.
Start by Roasting Your Veggies
Cut your squash in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Roast at 425°F for 30–35 minutes, just until tender/al dente. On another tray, add your halved red and orange peppers, garlic cloves, and onion slices. Drizzle with olive oil and roast alongside the squash for 25–30 minutes until charred.
Make the Picadillo
While everything roasts, start cooking your picadillo, this is how we become efficient in the kitchen. Brown the meat, add your seasonings, a spoonful of tomato paste, sofrito, onions and bell peppers. Continue to build flavor and brown meat with small splashes of water.
Bring It All Together
Once veggies are done, remove the skins from the peppers and blend them with roasted garlic and onion until smooth. Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash into strands (about 300g per serving).
In the same pan you used for the meat, warm your pepper sauce and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, add feta (optional) and toss in the squash until coated! Top with cilantro and enjoy this delicious cozy Picadillo spaghetti squash bolognese.
You can serve it right inside the spaghetti squash shell and save the rest for meal prep and assemble quickly in a few minutes. It’s cozy, colorful and so delicious even if you are a certified veggie hater 🤩!
Make it spicy: Add chili flakes or a diced scotch bonnet while simmering the sauce.
Make it dairy-free: Skip the feta or use your favorite plant-based alternative.
Meal prep tip: Both the picadillo and sauce can be made 1–2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Picadillo Spaghetti Squash
High protein gluten free picadillo spaghetti squash
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and garlic powder. Roast for 30–40 minutes, depending on size. It should be tender but slightly firm (al dente). Overcooking will make it mushy.
On a separate tray, add bell peppers (halved), unpeeled garlic cloves under neath the bell peppers and sliced purple onion. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25–30 minutes at the same time as the spaghetti squash, until peppers are charred and soft. Once done, peel the skin off the peppers while they’re still warm.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Once water has evaporated and meat has brown a bit, add garlic, onion, diced red pepper, sofrito and tomato paste. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and oregano. Continue cooking and add small splashes of water to deepen the color and prevent burning.
Once browned and flavorful, add enough water to just cover the beef then add your bay leaf and thyme sprig. Let it simmer until the water evaporates. Repeat one more time once water has evaporated, taste for seasoning and adjust if needed and then add water one more time but only enough water to cover halfway. Finish with a splash of white vinegar, taste for seasoning and let the beef dry out as much or as little as you'd like. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
Blend the roasted peppers, garlic, and onion until smooth. Pour the sauce into the same pan used for the meat.Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning (and chili flakes or scotch bonnet if you like spice). Not too much salt if you're using feta cheese FYI. Add 1 oz of feta for extra creaminess (optional).
Use a fork to shred the spaghetti squash into strands (about 300g per serving). Toss the squash into the sauce with tongs until well coated. Add 4 oz of picadillo per serving and mix until everything is combined and heated through.
Top with fresh cilantro, extra feta and serve right back in the squash shell for a perfect meal prep dinner. Store all ingredients separately and then easily combine over stove top in 2-3 minutes for dinner!
