Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto

April 12, 2021 - By Courtney

During the summer when our garden is in full swing, we eat a lot of spaghetti squash. It is relatively easy to make and is a great substitute for a simple pasta dish. We also grow a ton of basil in the garden and are trying out garlic, so this is a perfect recipe for a summer dinner right out of the garden. Even if you are not a fan of squash, this pesto can be served on traditional pasta noodles or a pesto pizza, yum!

The great thing about pesto is you can substitute the ingredients. If you don’t have enough basil, you can supplement parts with parsley or arugula. Instead of using pine nuts, try walnuts or even pistachios. For a vegan option, switch out the parmesan for nutritional yeast.

For this dish I added asparagus because that is what I had in the fridge (and it’s delicious), but you can also add tomatoes, green beans, or zucchini. Adding some rotisserie chicken would also be a great option if you prefer meat with your pasta. Feel free to make this one your own!

Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto

Serving Size:

4-6

Time:

60 min

Difficulty:

Medium

Ingredients

1 whole spaghetti Squash
Salt & pepper (just a dash of each)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (substitute with nutritional yeast for vegan option)
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 bunch of asparagus
Additional Tbsp. olive oil for roasting asparagus (veggies)
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes (optional)
Another 1/4 parmesan for topping

Directions

Use a fork to puncture spaghetti squash several times on each side and microwave for 5 minutes. This will soften the squash and make it easier to cut in half.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds on each side. Brush the squash lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper (see pictures below).
Place the squash face down on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
While the squash is baking, pour the pine nuts into a pan and toast them on the stove top stirring frequently to avoid burning. Remove from heat and allow pine nuts to fully cool.
To make the pesto: add pine nuts, garlic and parmesan to a food processor and blend together.
Add the basil and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice to the food processor and pulse until combined.
Slowly add olive oil while running the food processor until you reach your desired consistency.
Add salt & red pepper flakes to taste.
Toss asparagus with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, salt & pepper and roast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Remove asparagus from oven, squeeze 1 Tbsp. lemon juice over veggies and cut into 1 inch pieces.
Remove squash from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes
use a fork to scrape the insides out of the squash, creating noodle-like pieces.
Mix squash with pesto and veggies, top with parmesan and red pepper flakes (optional).

Please feel free to comment below if you try this recipe and have ideas to add!