This pesto spaghetti squash with chicken sausage packs your spaghetti squash with flavor and protein for a delicious, filling dinner!
Another decade-old recipe is being reposted today! I’m so excited to bring this one to the front of the blog and give it the love it deserves! I used to be a spaghetti squash fanatic, but then I ate so much of it that I never wanted it again for like three years. But now that we’ve had a little break from it, I’m totally back into it!
Now listen, I’m not trying to replace my pasta with spaghetti squash. Anyone who tells you that it’s “just as good” is lying. I like to think of it as a veggie-based meal that I can slather with all my favorite toppings! I do not think of it as a substitute for pasta because it isn’t. It’s a meal in its own right, like eggplant parmesan. Eggplant parmesan is its own meal; it wasn’t made to replace lasagna. So that’s how I think of spaghetti squash! Sometimes I eat regular pasta (usually Banza), and sometimes I eat spaghetti squash.
And this pesto spaghetti squash is bursting with flavor in every single bite! Who doesn’t love a good pesto mixed with chicken sausage? And this way, you amp up your veggie consumption without having yet another salad! Let me know if you try it! And bonus, you can eat it without your kids trying to eat off your plate. My kids took one look at this and at least attempted to pick the meat out of it, but that’s it. More for me!
How to Make Pesto Spaghetti Squash
*This is a visual how-to section for the full recipe card. Please see below!
You have several moving parts in this recipe to make it all come together, but it’s worth it! First, bake your spaghetti squash. Next, brown your chicken sausage, make skinny pesto, or pop open your favorite jar of pesto and steam your broccoli. Then you’ll combine everything in a bowl (chicken sausage, cooked spaghetti squash, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and steamed broccoli), and if you want to be fancy, fill the spaghetti squash halves back up to make it look pretty!
Swaps and Substitutions
This recipe is already gluten-free and low-carb. If you need further modifications, please see below!
- Spaghetti Squash – do not omit.
- Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage – feel free to sub with your favorite type of chicken or regular sausage. To make it vegetarian, you could use a chicken sausage substitute or omit.
- Broccoli – you could omit or sub cauliflower or zucchini
- Sun-dried tomatoes – optional, but really great flavor
- Olive Oil – use avocado or olive oil
- Skinny Pesto – use my recipe for skinny pesto or your favorite jarred pesto! For swaps and substitutions in the pesto recipe, please see this post.
How to Store and Freeze Pesto Spaghetti Squash
To store: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Please keep in mind that spaghetti squash becomes even more watery when freezing and then thawing. My husband doesn’t mind this, but I don’t love the texture, so you may want to skip freezing this one if you think it bothers you!
You May Also Like These Spaghetti Squash Recipes To:
- 5 Ingredient Spaghetti Squash
- Shrimp Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Pizza Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
Pesto Spaghetti Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 12 ounces sweet italian chicken sausage
- 12 ounces broccoli
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 Batch "Skinny" Pesto
- 2 cups basil fresh, packed
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you work on cutting in half one large spaghetti squash. *Tip: microwaving for one minute can make it easier to cut!
- Once you get it cut, place each half face down in a quarter inch of water in a baking dish and stick it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. You want a fork to easily pierce the tough outside when they are done.
- Combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth.2 cups basil, 3 tbsp pine nuts, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp water, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, 10 tbsp parmesan cheese
- When spaghetti squash is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.1 large spaghetti squash
- Meanwhile, steam your broccoli (or whatever vegetable you want, mushrooms would be good in this recipe.)12 ounces broccoli
- Cut your chicken sausage in half moons brown using a tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or so.12 ounces sweet italian chicken sausage
- Once the chicken is browned, remove from heat and scoop in spaghetti squash strands (remove the seeds first) to your pan, toss with 1/3 cup pesto, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve it up topped with more parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and/or pine nuts. Bon appetit!1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil
Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Reply