This tasty low carb "pasta" recipe uses baked / roasted spaghetti squash in place of pasta and has a light and tangy kale and brazil nut pesto.
Baked spaghetti squash with kale pesto is garnished with toasted squash seeds.
Spaghetti Squash breaks down into little spaghetti strands and is a fantastic alternative to pasta for a lighter meal.
Roast spaghetti squash whole and skip trying to cut into a raw squash - you'll save a lot of energy and it won't be as intimidating. Carefully, puncture the squash several times with a sharp small paring knife so air can escape.
Make life a little easier and don't get obsessed about removing all the strands from the spaghetti squash seeds before roasting. Any remaining strands will taste delicious after the seeds are roasted.
Vegans can use nutritional yeast for the Parmesan cheese and soy creamer or olive oil for the cream as vegan substitutes.
This recipe is vegetarian but would also be amazing served with some fresh sautéed shrimp, Italian sausage, or diced cooked chicken.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this Spaghetti Squash and Pesto dish with a complementary recipe like:
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Like dishes with flavorful pestos or sauces? Check out these dishes:
Things In My Kitchen:
- 8 Cup Food Processor - for blendin' up those pesto ingredients.
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Baked Spaghetti Squash w/ Kale And Brazil Nut Pesto
EatSimpleFood.com
This tasty low carb "pasta" recipe uses baked / roasted spaghetti squash in place of pasta and has a light & tangy kale & brazil nut pesto.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop / Oven
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 large or 3 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 large head kale leaves, de-stemmed & blanched
- 1 cup brazil nuts (~ 3 oz)
- ¾ cup (~2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
- ⅓ cup olive oil, divided
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp (2 cloves) garlic, minced
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ tsp urfa red pepper flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes) - optional for spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil. CAREFULLY puncture the squash in several areas with a small sharp knife. Roast ~ 1 hour 15 minutes, turning twice, or until squash is soft to the touch. The squash skin may appear caramelized in certain places.
- When the squash is cooked, reduce oven heat to 300F. Carefully cut squash in half (be careful of steam burns). Reserve the seeds. Rinse seeds, dry, and toss with a touch of olive oil and sea salt. Place on a lined baking sheet and cook ~ 12- 15 minutes or until light brown. Scrap squash lightly with a fork to remove flesh in larges strands.
- Steam or blanch kale and drain any excess water. Saute garlic in a small pan with a touch of olive oil for ~1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Make the pesto: Blend brazil nuts in a food processor. After blended, add kale, ¼ cup olive oil, sea salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, and Parmesan. Slowly add half and half. Warm the pesto up in a small saucepan if desired. Add salt to pesto to taste.
- Serve pesto over squash strands. Add more Parmesan if desired and top with toasted squash seeds. Happy Eating! Beckie
Notes
- Make life a little easier and don't get obsessed about removing all the strands from the squash seeds before roasting. Any remaining strands will taste delicious after the seeds are roasted
- Vegans can use nutritional yeast f(or the Parmesan) and soy creamer or olive oil (for the cream) as substitutes.
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