Stripetti Squash Quiche

Vegan gluten-free quiche uses stripetti squash or spaghetti squash as an encasing for the filling. It’s lighter than traditional quiche, low in carb, eggless and dairy-free with no compromise on the texture, yet very filling and satisfying. This crustless quiche is just delicious!

Autumn around here is the time for pumpkins and squashes of various shapes, sizes and texture. Every year, I’ve been trying a squash variety that I’ve never tried before and each year, when I thought I’ve tried all of them, there seems to be a new kind popping up. 

I found an intriguing squash at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago, labelled as the stripetti squash. It looked like a large delicata squash and I was quite curious. So, I tossed one in my basket. 

Back home, while doing some research as to what would be the best way to cook it, I learnt that the stripetti squash is in fact a cross between a delicata and spaghetti squash. The skin is yellow-orange striated with dark green just like the delicata squash and the flesh separates into strands like spaghetti squash. Very interesting! So, it’s really like a smaller version of the spaghetti squash, which is quite nice if you’re cooking just for two or three people.

I figured that I could easily swap in stripetti squash in dishes that call for spaghetti squash and vice versa. The strands of the stripetti squash are slightly thinner and more tender than spaghetti squash though but nothing too major as to ruin the dish.

I was going to make my usual spaghetti squash gratin dish that both Kevin and I love but then it occurred to me that a quiche doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. Quiche seems to be a popular lunchtime dish during the summer season. But I don’t see why it can’t be made at any time of the year using seasonal vegetables. 

Instead of using the squash as the filling, I decided to make the crust out of it, similar to the Smoky Tempeh Quiche with Eggplant Crust that I made a little while ago.

There’s no pastry involved so in reality this quiche is crustless. The stripetti squash is arranged on the bottom and sides of the dish to create a pretty encasing for the filling. It’s a lighter low-carb take on a traditional quiche, eggless and dairy-free with an airy fluffy texture, yet very filling and satisfying. 

A little kala namak or Indian black salt does the magic of adding some ‘eggy’ aroma to the tofu-based cream although you may replace this with regular salt if you don’t have any on hand.

This quiche is lovely for weekend brunches or late lunches and we enjoyed a double portion of it for dinner. 

This quiche does take a little bit of time to make as the squash needs to be cooked first. It’s really easy to just throw the whole uncut squash in a large pot half-filled with water, cover and cook for about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can cut it in half and bake it. 

Once cooked, scoop out the seeds, then separate the strands with a fork.

If the stripetti squash is quite watery, squeeze out some of the excess liquid. This will help the ‘crust’ to stay together. 

Add in the cornstarch, grated cheese, thyme leaves and about ½ teaspoon of salt (or to taste).

Transfer to a greased 20-cm/8-inch baking or pie dish and press the squash evenly on the bottom and sides using your hands or a spatula. 

Once the cooked stripetti squash is arranged in the baking dish, I also suggest to bake it for about 20 minutes before adding the filling. This will help it to dry and set better.

While the ‘crust’ is baking, saute the broccoli and mushrooms in a little oil on medium-high heat Don’t overcook them as they will cook further while baking. This is basically to dry out some of the excess water, especially from the mushrooms, so that the quiche doesn’t turn out soggy.

For the creamy sauce, if you can get firm silken tofu like Morinu extra firm, go for it. Else, you can also use firm regular tofu.  

If you don’t have a blender, you can just mash the tofu to a puree consistency with a fork then mix in the soy milk, cornstarch or chickpea flour, miso paste or nutritional yeast and kala namak (Indian black salt). Then stir in the grated cheese and basil leaves, if using.

Once the creamy sauce base is ready, spread some into the prepared crust and flatten with a spatula. Top with a layer of the vegetables followed by another layer of the mixture and another layer of vegetables, finishing with a layer of the tofu mixture. Smooth out and press the filling to make sure all vegetables are well tucked in the creamy mixture. 

Bake for 60 – 75 mins or until a knife inserted comes out clean, not dry but there should not be any pasty bits. 

Let the quiche cool down for at least 30 minutes. Cut into 8 slices and serve hot or cold.

This quiche is just delicious! Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and reheated. They make nice packed lunches. Freezing, however, is not recommended.

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