Pesto Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats is pesto spaghetti squash tossed with mushrooms, white beans, and plenty of cheese.  It’s a hearty vegetarian dinner!

Cheesy Pesto Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats are spaghetti squash halves stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, white beans, kale pesto, and plenty of cheese. This is lightened up comfort food at it's best! @FlavortheMoment

I have a love/hate relationship with running.  I love that it’s one of the most effective ways to stay fit, but I dread the actual running part.  It’s never been easy for me — I think some people are just born runners and the rest of us suffer through it.  

The fact that every course I take from my house ends with a big hill doesn’t help either.   It does give me a great sense of satisfaction afterward, so there’s that. 🙂

I just got back from a run, and I’m ready to dig into one of these pesto spaghetti squash boats! They’re so hearty and satisfying that you will not miss the pasta.  That’s a guarantee.  

The last thing I want to do after I put myself through a run is blow it on a plate of pasta, so this is the perfect thing.

overhead shot of pesto vegetarian spaghetti squash boats

You have tried spaghetti squash haven’t you?  I was hooked the first time I had it, and now I actually prefer it to pasta with my Meat Sauce and Bolognese sauce. 

This was the first time I tried spaghetti squash and pesto, and I really loved the flavors.  It was also the first time I’d eaten spaghetti squash boat-style, and it was definitely fun!

How to make this recipe

What’s the best way to cook spaghetti squash? 

See my post on how to cook spaghetti squash for all the info!

You can roast your spaghetti squash in the oven very easily, but I love microwaving it so that it’s done even faster.  

Just halve your squash (I use a paring knife), and place it cut side down in a microwaveable dish with about an inch of water in the bottom of the dish.  Cover it tightly and microwave for about 15-20 minutes and shred it up!

Spaghetti Squash Collage

While the squash is in the microwave, sauté your mushrooms and make your pesto.  I have lots of kale in my garden right now, so I used that for my pesto.  

The kale pesto has a big bold flavor that I love, or you can certainly use my Spinach Pesto or Basil Pesto Sauce if you wish.

Get more pesto sauce variations from my post How to Make Pesto Sauce.

 I added the pesto and some hearty white beans to my mushrooms, then tossed that into my shredded squash.

Next comes the fun part.  Preheat your broiler and top those spaghetti squash boats with plenty of grated mozzarella cheese.  Broil them until the cheese is melted, and you’re ready to eat!

overhead shot of pesto vegetarian spaghetti squash boats with cheese

Recipe notes

The glory of this dish is that it’s completely customizable.  You can use whatever veggies you have on hand, or toss in some leftover chicken if you don’t feel like going meatless.  And you can use as much of this pesto sauce as you like.  I tossed some in and served the boats with extra sauce because the more pesto the better in my book.

These pesto spaghetti squash boats are so hearty and delicious — they’re really going to surprise you.  They come together in all of 30 minutes, and you can even make the mushroom pesto mixture ahead of time to make life even easier.  

And the best part?  They didn’t blow my run. 🙂

fork with pesto vegetarian spaghetti squash

More spaghetti squash recipes:

How to cook spaghetti squash

Keto Mediterranean spaghetti

Spaghetti squash lasagna by Skinnytaste

fork full of pesto vegetarian spaghetti squash

Cheesy Pesto Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats

Servings: 2 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Additional Time: 0 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Pesto Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats is pesto spaghetti squash tossed with mushrooms, white beans, and plenty of cheese.  It's a hearty vegetarian dinner!
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Ingredients

  • 1 spaghetti squash cooked using one of the methods in my How to Cook Spaghetti Squash post.
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup white beans rinsed and drained
  • 2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese

For the pesto:

  • 1 bunch lacinto kale tough stems removed, roughly chopped, washed, and drained slightly
  • 3 tablespoons toasted walnuts roughly chopped*
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • While the squash cooks, prepare the mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have browned and the liquid has evaporated.
    1 spaghetti squash, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 8 ounces mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic
  • Place the kale in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the lemon juice, garlic, and parmesan cheese, and pulse to combine. With the machine on, add the olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream and process until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste, and process once more. This can be made ahead!
    1 bunch lacinto kale, 3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Add 1/4 cup of the pesto sauce to the mushroom mixture along with the beans and toss to coat. Divide between the spaghetti squash boats and toss gently.
    1 cup white beans, 2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • Preheat the broiler. Top the squash with the cheese and broil until the cheese has melted. Serve with more pesto sauce if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

  • You’ll have extra pesto sauce, so this recipe can easily be doubled if desired. My Spinach Pesto and Basil Pesto Sauce would also be great for this recipe!
  • This meal is completely customizable so feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 720kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 719mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 17g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: spaghetti squash boats, vegetarian spaghetti squash boats
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!
 

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