This 3-Ingredient Pesto Spaghetti Squash recipe is an easy dinner idea that needs only 3 ingredients: spaghetti squash, your favorite pesto sauce, and shredded parmesan cheese.
Spaghetti squash is a favorite in our house – we make it a lot in the fall and winter. It’s also proving to be a favorite here on the blog too! Our Bacon-Parmesan Spaghetti Squash recipe and our 3-Ingredient Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash recipe are two of our most popular blog recipes. It doesn’t come as a surprise to us! Not only are these recipes delicious, but spaghetti squash is inexpensive in the fall and winter making for a frugal meal idea. And these recipes are very easy to make with only a few ingredients.
Today we’re back with another VERY simple way to serve spaghetti squash for dinner: 3-Ingredient Pesto Spaghetti Squash Recipe.
To make this recipe, cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out all of the seeds and discard them. Place the spaghetti squash halves on a baking sheet, cut side down, and bake the spaghetti squash.
While the spaghetti squash is fully cooked, but cooled enough to be handled, use a fork and scrape the spaghetti squash strands to loosen and separate them. Place the strands into a bowl.
Combine the spaghetti squash strands with your favorite pesto sauce. To keep it super simple, we usually use pre-made pesto from the grocery store. The two brands we use most often are Trader Joe’s Pesto (Trader Giotto’s Pesto Alla Genovese) or Classico Traditional Basil Pesto Sauce.
If you prefer, you can make your own homemade pesto sauce.
The spaghetti squash & pesto mixture is spooned back into the spaghetti squash “shell” for serving. You don’t have to do this, but it is a fun way of serving it. Before serving, sprinkle the top with shredded parmesan cheese.
If your spaghetti squashes are smaller, each 1/2 of a spaghetti squash will serve one person. Otherwise, a medium-to-large sized spaghetti squash will serve about 3-4 people, depending on how large it is.
This recipe would also be great with the addition of some cooked chicken or shrimp. You could also add some tomatoes to this for extra flavor and color.
If you like spaghetti squash, there are lots of other ways to use it for meals. We have an entire post with Easy Spaghetti Squash Recipes for Dinner.
3-Ingredient Pesto Spaghetti Squash Recipe
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Easy 3-Ingredient Pesto Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Description
This 3-Ingredient Pesto Spaghetti Squash recipe is an easy dinner idea that needs only 3 ingredients: spaghetti squash, your favorite pesto sauce, and shredded parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti Squash
- Pesto Sauce (pre-made jar at your grocery store or homemade)
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Optional: Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with olive oil or cooking spray.
- With a sharp knife, carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. With a spoon, gently remove seeds and discard. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork can pierce the shell easily.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. With a fork, loosen and separate spaghetti squash strands from shell. Reserve shells.
- Place strands in a bowl. Mix strands with pesto sauce. Start with 1/4 cup and adjust the amount of sauce you use based on your own preference (amount will vary based on the size of your squash and how many strands you get from it).
- Spoon mixture back into the empty shell. If you have enough strands, you may be able to separate the mixture into each of the two shells, but you may also be able to spoon the entire mixture into just one of the shell halves.
- Return to oven and bake for 7-9 minutes to heat. Remove from oven.
- sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve directly from shell.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Miz Helen says
Your Pesto Spaghetti Squash looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with us at our Thanksgiving Edition of Full Plate Thursday! Hope you have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Jamie says
This looks amazing! Thank you for linking up to More The Merrier Monday.
Jamie
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
Now THAT’S dinner!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!
Heather says
I’ve never made spaghetti squash, but this recipe really makes me want to! I love pesto, so this sounds delicious!