Pesto Spaghetti Squash is made with wine, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Packed with flavor, it's an ideal vegetarian and gluten-free dish that everyone will love.
Let's face it, a Spaghetti Squash is so bizarre! Right!?
It's easy to cook and it tastes delicious -- but it falls into strings when it's cooked for goodness sake! I mean, who does that?
What's with this stringy squash, anyway?
Honestly, I don't even try to understand how this happens. Sure I went to culinary school, I've cooked in restaurants, catered and worked as a private chef for years, taught countless cooking classes, and yet, no where on my culinary journey has this craziness ever been explained to me. Nor has it come up. 😉
Science is not my thing. Neither is math, but that's not relevant here.
Clearly, the formation of the "spaghetti" is to do with the way the heat interacts with squash.
That's a given and the rest will forever be a mystery to me -- because much like my computer, I don't really try to understand how it works -- I just accept it, move on, and use it to the best of my abilities.
This bizarre squash that goes form solid to "strings," is one of those things I just accept. And let me tell you, this Pesto Spaghetti Squash recipe is fantastic. Bizarre or not.
On top of this spaghetti squash with pesto being a beautiful and delicious dish, it's also super healthy. It's low calorie, vegetarian, low-carb, and gluten free.
Recipe Tip
- If you'd like to make this recipe vegan, simply leave the Parmesan cheese out. It's only used to sprinkle on top -- the pesto is dairy free.
More spaghetti squash recipes:
This recipe is delicious. That I know. Let's eat!
Enjoy!
Here's How to Cook a Spaghetti Squash.
Pesto Spaghetti Squash
Packed with rich flaovrs, this is an ideal gluten-free, vegetarian entrée the everyone will love.
- 1 (approximately 3-pound) Spaghetti Squash
- 4 cups packed spinach leaves, (washed and dried)
- 1 cup packed basil leaves, (washed and dried)
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed marinated, sun-dried tomatoes, (drained )
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ((ideally from the marinated sun-dried tomatoes))
- 2 medium-sized garlic cloves, (roots and stems removed)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
Prepare the squash. Follow the Step-by-Step Guide for How to Cook Spaghetti Squash. (It's easy!) When it's done, add it to a very large mixing bowl and set aside.
Make the pesto. While the squash is cooking, add the spinach and basil to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until it's chopped so much that it's all towards the bottom of the processor. Now add ⅓ cup of the sun-dried tomatoes, oil and garlic. Blend until smooth.
Simmer the pesto with wine and season. Add the spinach mixture to a medium-sized sauté pan and mix in the wine. Bring to a boil and, reduce the heat to low, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Season generously to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
Assemble. Let the pesto sauce cool a bit and then pour it over the Spaghetti Squash and mix. If it's not too hot, using your hand is the best way to mix this -- to be sure all of the strands are well coated.
Garnish and serve. Finely chop the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkle them on top, along with some Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve!
Calorie count is only an estimate.
Sippitysup
Gorgeous recipe! If you want really long "noodles" try slicing the squash crosswise, not lengthwise. It defies common sense, but it will blow your mind how much longer the "noodles" will be. GREG
valentina
How cool! Next time I'm definitely doing it that way!! 🙂
Kelly @ TastingPage
Love this. I always enjoy veggies on my veggies and am going to need to try this!
valentina
Thanks, Kelly! I love it, "veggies on my veggies." (Unlike my bacon-wrapped Thanksgiving turkey which my brother makes fun of me for b/c it's "meat on meat!") 😉
Noel
lol @ the biology of food! One of life's great mysteries ... spaghetti squash!
I need to pick one up at the store and try this recipe!
valentina
Yes it is! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Jessica {Swanky Recipes}
Love the use of squash in this recipe and the other fresh vegetables. I'm pinning this recipe and plan on making it for our family soon!
valentina
Thank you, Jessica! Hope your family loves it! 🙂
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat
Great recipe! Will have to give it a try! The flavors sound amazing!
valentina
Thanks so much, Sherri. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Marie
Healthy ingredients and a great looking recipe. Sounds good! Pinning it for later. 🙂
valentina
Thanks, Marie. I love when healthy is delicious. 🙂
Melissa | Cilantro and Citronella
This recipe's got my two favorite things: wine and garlic. It's really hard to find spaghetti squash where I live, but I could try your sauce over cubed butternut squash or pumpkin. Sounds great!
valentina
It would be delicious over those two. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
David
Love the pesto sauce! LOVE!
valentina
Thank you, David!!! 🙂
Chef Mii
Beautiful. No meat needed.
valentina
Agree about the meat. Thank you, Mimi! 🙂 ~Valentina