Veggie Pesto would be just as good over zoodles or regular pasta as it is served over spaghetti squash; feel free to get creative. But, whatever you do, definitely try the pesto--it is SO delicious. A great bonus is any leftover pesto freezes well.
I had an abundance of basil in my herb garden and spinach in the fridge that needed to be used, so I decided a Basil Spinach Pesto was in order. It turned out delicious! I actually made a double batch so that I could freeze some and give some to my neighbors.
You could use any combination of vegetables that you like, or even add meat, but I'm working on more recipes that are meatless, yet still tasty and satisfying. In my opinion, this one qualifies. It's been my lunch multiple days over the last few weeks. It even froze surprisingly well and was easy to reheat in a sauté pan. I know the color may be a little off putting, but come on, it's pesto--it's supposed to be greeen!
First, prepare the pesto. You'll need two cups each of rough chopped basil and spinach, stems removed. Place the basil and spinach in a food processor. Add one cup walnuts, two-thirds cup parmesan cheese, six garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste, and juice and zest from one lime. Pulse to begin combining the ingredients. While the food processor is running, drizzle in about one and a half cups avocado oil. Just keep an eye on the consistency. You may also want to stop the food processor and scrape the sides a few times to make sure all the ingredients are fully puréed. (I love garlic. If you're not as big a fan, use less garlic.)
For the vegetables, begin by cutting your zucchini (I used baby zucchini.) into wedges and slicing the mini peppers into quarters. Place on a prepared baking sheet, and roast for about fifteen to twenty minutes in a preheated 375ºF oven. You want the veggies to be tender, but not soggy. While the veggies are roasting, sauté the mushrooms. I also added in one can of garbanzo beans for some protein and a half cup sun dried tomatoes, both drained and rinsed.
Toss the hot veggies with the room temperature pesto and serve over cooked spaghetti squash or noodle of choice. (Note: I roasted my spaghetti squash the day before while I was working on food prep. Simply cut your spaghetti sqash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the two halves in a baking dish cut side down. Poke a few holes in the top of each half, and roast in a preheated 400ºF oven for about an hour, or until the flesh is tender and scoops out easily.)
Veggie Pesto over Spaghetti Squash
Spinach Basil Pesto is simply amazing. Add whatever veggies you would like and serve over spaghetti squash or zoodles for a healthy vegetarian dinner or lunch. Bonus: Left over pesto freezes well.
Ingredients
For the Pesto
- 2 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped
- 2 cups fresh basil, rough chopped
- 1 cup walnuts
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- ½ cups avocado oil
For the Veggies:
- 1 large spaghetti squash, roasted
- 10 ounces mushrooms (I used baby bella.)
- 2 cups mini peppers, sliced
- 12 ounces baby zucchini, quartered
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed if packed in oil
Instructions
- First, prepare the pesto. Add all the pesto ingredients except the avocado oil to a food processor. Pulse a few times to begin combining ingredients. With the food processor running, slowly add in the avocado oil until the desired consistency is reached. Set the pesto aside.
- For the vegetables, begin by cutting your zucchini (I used baby zucchini.) into wedges and slicing the mini peppers into quarters. Place on a prepared baking sheet, and roast for about fifteen to twenty minutes in a preheated 375º oven.
- While the veggies are roasting, sauté the mushrooms. Add one can of garbanzo beans and ½ cup sundried tomatoes, both rinsed and drained, when the mushrooms are almost done just to heat them.
- Toss the hot veggies with the room temperature pesto and serve over cooked spaghetti squash or noodle of choice.
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 ½ cups of pesto. Yes, it freezes well. Also, I love garlic. If you're not such a fan, use less than the 6 cloves in the recipe.
- I roasted my spaghetti squash the day before while I was working on food prep. Simply cut your spaghetti sqash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the two halves in a baking dish cut side down. Poke a few holes in the top of each half, and roast in a preheated 400ºF oven for about an hour, or until the flesh is tender and scoops out easily.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 840Total Fat 57gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 45gCholesterol 14mgSodium 1208mgCarbohydrates 68gFiber 19gSugar 21gProtein 25g
Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.
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