Spaghetti Squash Boats with Kale Pesto & Vegan Parmesan

Spaghetti Squash Boats with Kale Pesto & Vegan Parmesan are a perfect weeknight dinner! Baked spaghetti squash is filled with delicious homemade kale pesto, and topped with vegan parmesan.

This is the type of meal that requires pretty minimal effort, but yields huge results. It only requires a few ingredients, and is so flavorful and packed full of nutrients. Some version of this has been on rotation in our house for a while now because it is easy and so versatile. You can get super creative with spaghetti squash boats and use whatever type of sauce and toppings you want! I’ve done it with red sauce, vodka sauce, and different toppings like vegan mozzarella, and even turkey meatballs.

Making your own pesto is so much easier than you may think! Not to mention, it can be a lot cheaper than going for the store-bought version. I love to make my own pesto because you can change up the greens with whatever you have on hand. I have used everything from spinach, kale, basil, and even arugula for different pesto variations. Not only does it change up the flavors, but it gives you a variety of nutrients too. It is always a good idea to change up the greens in recipes, we need variety in our diet!

You just throw all of the ingredients into a food processor, and voila, you have fresh homemade pesto! It really is that easy.

How to Cut a Spaghetti Squash

One thing I love about spaghetti squash is that it is so simple to bake, and it replaces noodles/pasta SO well in most recipes. Even my toddler loves it! But the hard part for most people is cutting it. Before baking, it is pretty tough to get through and can be dangerous if you’ve never done it before.

• My best advice is to soften the squash first, before cutting into it. Start by taking a sharp paring knife and cutting a few slits in the skin of the squash. I would do about 10 slits all over the squash.
• Put the squash in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, then use a kitchen towel to remove it to prevent burning yourself.
• Let it cool for a couple of minutes, then use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the squash lengthwise.
• Use a spoon to remove the seeds in the center.
• Now it’s ready to roast!

This is the perfect easy weeknight meal, and it works great as leftovers too! You can just scoop it right out of the boats and store it in a glass container with an airtight lid in the fridge.

Looking for more easy dinner recipes?

• Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
• Pizza Zucchini Boats
• Dairy-Free Vegetarian Lasagna
• Thai Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

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Spaghetti Squash Boats with Kale Pesto & Vegan Parmesan

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt & pepper

Kale Pesto

• 2 cups kale , stems removed
• 1 bunch of parsley , stems removed
• ¼ cup hemp seeds *see notes
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅓-½ cup olive oil (depending on how thick you want it)

Vegan Parmesan

• 1 cup cashews
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• After cutting the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds with a spoon and discard. Drizzle a tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper on the cut side of the squash and place each half face down on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until you are able to easily stick a knife into the skin.
• To make the vegan parmesan, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt to a food processor and pulse until it turns into the consistency of grated parmesan. Transfer to a jar and set aside for later.
• To make the pesto, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil to a food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is pulverized, then leave the processor running while you slowly stream in the olive oil. Start with 1/3 cup, and if it is still too thick for your preference, add a bit more until you reach your desired consistency. Set aside.
• Once the squash is done, remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes. Use a fork to break up the inside strings of the squash, then add half of the pesto sauce to each half of the squash. Use the fork to stir and combine it with the squash, then spoon some of the vegan parmesan over the top.
• You can serve it in the squash boats, or remove it and put it all on a serving dish.