Beef and Black Bean Spaghetti Squash

Summer settling in. The pandemic has changed the shape of Alaskan summer — the usual festivals canceled, the farmers' market running with restrictions, the coastal trail busier than ever because the trail is outside and outside is the only place people feel safe. I walk the trail three mornings a week now, before my shifts, the inlet silver in the early light, the mountains reflecting the sun, the eagles circling. The walking is therapy Dr. Reeves didn't prescribe but approves of — the movement, the air, the light hitting my face without a mask between us.

The post-wedding glow from Mark and Carmen's Zoom ceremony has faded into the ordinary rhythm of family life — Mark calls every other Sunday, Carmen sends photos of their San Diego apartment, the newlywed energy visible even through a screen. They're happy. The happy is genuine and uncomplicated in a way that makes me realize how much of my own happiness has been complicated — earned through breakdown and therapy and medication, built on a foundation of PTSD and recovery, the happiness that comes after the hard thing, which is different from the happiness that comes before it. Mark's happiness is before. Mine is after. Both are real. The after-happiness is just heavier, because it carries the weight of everything it survived to get here.

I made ginataang kalabasa — squash in coconut milk, the gentle dish, the summer version with fresh squash from the Tuesday Market. The squash was from the Mat-Su Valley, grown in the aggressive Alaskan sunlight that compensates for its brevity with intensity, the plants cramming an entire growing season into three months. The squash was sweet. The coconut milk was rich. The shrimp added their briny counterpoint. I ate it on the balcony at 9 PM in full sunlight, because Alaska summer dinners happen in daylight that wouldn't end for hours, and the not-ending was a comfort after months of too-early darkness.

That evening on the balcony—the sun still blazing at 9 PM, the inlet glinting in the distance—squash felt like the only right thing to cook. The Mat-Su Valley grows it with such fierce sweetness, and I wanted something that honored that intensity without overcomplicating it. This beef and black bean spaghetti squash is the recipe I return to when I want the vegetable to carry the meal: earthy, filling, and grounded in a way that matches the after-happiness—the kind that knows what it survived to get here.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs), halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3/4 lb lean ground beef (85/15)
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 35–40 minutes, until the flesh is fork-tender and the strands pull apart easily.
Cook the beef. While the squash roasts, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, for 5–6 minutes until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
Build the filling. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili flakes (if using); stir and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add beans and tomatoes. Stir in the black beans and fire-roasted tomatoes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Shred and fill. Remove the squash from the oven. Flip cut-side up and use a fork to gently scrape and loosen the strands, keeping them inside the shell. Spoon the beef and black bean filling evenly over each squash half.
Melt the cheese. Top each filled squash half with shredded cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly bubbling.
Garnish and serve. Scatter chopped cilantro or parsley over the top and serve directly in the squash shells.

Nutrition (per serving)

Beef and Black Bean Spaghetti Squash — The After-Happiness on a Balcony at 9 PM