I’m just going to come out and say it…this dish will blow you away! It’s contains so many of my favorite ingredients…spaghetti squash, my new pesto, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, and fresh herbs. I’m very excited to be sharing this Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash recipe with all of you today. It’s loaded with healthy plant-based ingredients and flavors that pair so well together that you’ll find yourself devouring the entire serving in one sitting.
It’s no surprise that I love spaghetti squash. I even enjoy it roasted with a simple addition of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Don’t get bogged down by the idea of having to slice the spaghetti squash in half, de-seed it, and roast it. After you try it once, you’ll realize it is very easy, especially since the oven does most of the work for you. Although the initial cut down the middle can be difficult (especially with large ones), the rest is simple. I usually slice, de-seed, and roast it in the oven while I’m doing other stuff around the kitchen. It takes only 10 minutes. Then simply let it cool, scrape out the spaghetti squash strands (don’t forget to eat some in the process…it’s SO good!), store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and you’re good to go. You now have roasted spaghetti squash prepped and ready to use in any recipe, such as THIS one 😉
So now that I’ve sold you on how easy it is to roast a spaghetti squash (if you weren’t already on-board), go get one the next time you’re at the grocery store. Grab that Sun-Dried Tomato, Miso, Basil Pesto that you have stored in the freezer (which you hopefully made after my post 2 weeks ago) , or any other favorite prepared pesto, roast some mushrooms (don’t skip this step), and make this dish. If you already have the pesto on hand and roasted spaghetti squash in the fridge, it’ll only take you about 20 minutes to have this gorgeous plate of in front of you.
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below or see your pictures of this recipe recreated and posted on Facebook or Instagram (don’t forget to tag me so I don’t miss it)!
What’s your favorite dish containing spaghetti squash?
This spaghetti squash dish is the perfect side at your next party or light meal! It's loaded with veggies and flavor.
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1/4 cup pesto , I used my Sun-Dried Tomato, Miso, Basil Pesto for this recipe, which I highly recommend
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1/4-1/3 cup kalamata olives , halved
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves , chopped
- 10 cherry tomatoes , halved or quartered depending on size
- 10 oz. cremini mushrooms , thinly sliced
- olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scrape out all of the seeds (I like to use my ice cream scoop for this step).
- Sprinkle both halves with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place each half face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper .
- Bake for 25-40 minutes or until a fork or knife pierces through easily. Be sure not to over-bake the squash, otherwise you may not get strands out. Depending on the size of your squash it may take more or less time to bake. While it's baking, prepare the rest of the ingredients for the dish.
- Once the squash is cooked, remove from oven and cool until you are able to handle it. Do NOT turn the oven off. While you are waiting for the spaghetti squash to cool, roast the mushrooms in the oven, directions below.
- Once cool enough to handle, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash out using a fork so that you create "spaghetti"-like strands. For this recipe, you should end up with ~4 cups spaghetti squash.
- Toss the mushrooms with a tiny amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet .
- Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees until the water is released and the mushrooms just start to brown. Remove from oven and cool.
- In a large non-stick pan, on medium heat, combine the cooled spaghetti squash strands (~4 cups) and prepared pesto. Toss until all the pesto is mixed in. Turn the heat on medium-high and spread out the spaghetti squash in the pan. Let it cook, heat through, and possibly crisp up a little for about 3-4 minutes, flipping often with a spatula if needed to avoid burning.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add in the rest of the ingredients (chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped kalamata olives, roasted cremini mushroom slices, pine nuts, and chopped fresh basil leaves).
Slowly combine and heat for another 5-10 minutes using a spatula to toss. Season with salt or freshly ground black pepper to taste (note: my pesto was well seasoned so I did not need any additional salt or black pepper).
- Serve hot or cold!
To save time, I typically roast the spaghetti squash the day before if I have time and store the roasted spaghetti squash strands in the fridge. I also make a large batch of my pesto and store it in the freezer to use as needed.
Prepared Pesto - I make my Simple Pesto or Sun-Dried Tomato Miso Basil Pesto recipe and store it in the freezer.
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