Recipe for spaghetti squash with cashew basil pesto and white beans {vegetarian, gluten-free}
If I had mad Photoshop skills, I could turn this dish bright green. Scary green, even. Fortunately, I don't have that ability, and anyway, I want you to see how this luscious spaghetti squash really looks once it's been tossed in pesto and sits for a few minutes. Not gorgeous, I admit, but the garlicky aroma and melty cheese and crunchy cashews and creamy beans, all together, more than make up for the color. I'm rediscovering spaghetti squash, a low-calorie alternative to pasta, and a vegetable plentiful in the market at least three seasons of the year. Although I've been cooking spaghetti squash in my new pressure cooker, you can bake it in the oven, and either method works perfectly in this dish. It's not yet fresh basil season here in New England, so you have my permission to substitute good quality store-bought pesto if necessary. If you're not vegetarian and want to tuck a bit of shredded cooked chicken or shrimp in here, you have my permission to do that, too.
Spaghetti squash with cashew basil pesto and white beans
From the pantry, you'll need: cashews, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cannellini beans.
Ingredients
Serves 6.
For the pesto:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp roughly chopped cashews
1 large clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
For the squash:
1 2-lb spaghetti squash
3 Tbsp cashews
15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, chop the basil, cashews and garlic to a coarse mixture. Add the pepper, salt and oil, and process until smooth. Then add the 2 tablespoons of cheese, and pulse the mixer a few times to incorporate everything. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto, and refrigerate. (You can make pesto far ahead, and refrigerate or freeze it.)
Cook the spaghetti squash in a pressure cooker (fast) or the oven (not quite as fast).
Pressure cooker method: Trim off the stem end of the squash, and cut the squash in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Place the two halves in the pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes, and use the Quick Release method to release pressure (follow the instructions that came with your pressure cooker). When the pressure valve drops, open the lid. Use tongs to remove the squash halves to a platter, and let them cool while you prep the rest of the dish. Then, use a fork to scrape the "spaghetti" out of the skin.
Oven roasting method: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place the two halves cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle each half with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the rest of the dish; then, use a fork to scrape the "spaghetti" out of the skin.
While the squash is cooking, toast the cashews in a dry frying pan over low heat for 3-4 minutes, until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove from the stove and set aside.
Place the squash strands in a large mixing bowl. Add the beans, then the pesto. Mix gently with a rubber spatula; try not to break up the beans (too much -- it's impossible not to break a few of them). Stir in the cashews and cheese, and mix everything together.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
More pesto variations:
Chicken pesto pasta
Turkey pesto meatball sliders
Pasta with peas and parsley-walnut pesto
Penne with roasted red pepper pesto
Pasta with kale pesto, shrimp and tomato
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Grilled artichoke pesto zucchini bites, from Fifteen Spatulas
Beef roulades with walnut parsley pesto, from Simply Recipes
Baked chicken stuffed with pesto and cheese, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Grilled pesto shrimp skewers, from Skinnytaste
Spinach artichoke pesto pizza, from Two Peas & Their Pod
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this is my ideal meal - I am yet to make spaghetti squash and I'm so excited I must try this! It looks like the most delicious comfort meal (without the pasta!)
Rebecca, I didn't cook spaghetti squash for a long time, but now I'm really into it. Please do try it!
This sounds like a delicious meatless meal!
Kalyn, this would be a perfect main dish for Meatless Monday.
Planning to make something virtuous I bought a spaghetti squash last week. I love cashews & have never thought to use them in a pesto. Now I know what I'll do with it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Donna, I love cashews and always have a bag in my freezer (to keep me from nibbling on them!).
I certainly wish you could photoshop the scent and taste of garlicky aroma and melty cheese and crunchy cashews and creamy beans into your photo. I don't really care what it looks like if it tastes like that. I love all of these ingredients and personally it doesn't have to be beautiful to taste divine!
Jamie, I agree. For me, it's all about the taste. And the garlic. And some cheese.
I love experimenting this spaghetti squash, and this delicious dish looks like it will have to be my next one to try! So scrumptious!
Georgia, spaghetti squash is a bit bland, so it's fun to pair it with stronger flavored ingredients. Hope you like this!