Spaghetti Squash with Avocado Pesto, Cannellini Beans, & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Because spring is here and the weather keeps heating up, having a lighter pasta alternative is a great thing to have. Plus spaghetti squash is already gluten free, low fat, and has fiber. There’s really no losing here.

This is one of my favorite ways to have spaghetti squash, other than regular marinara sauce with other veggies and a protein. This avocado pesto gives you good fats without oil and a creamy texture without dairy. Then adding the cannellini beans or another protein like chicken adds to it to make it a balanced meal. This is a very low calorie meal, so feel free to add in garlic bread, salad, soup, etc.

Spaghetti Squash

Oh spaghetti squash! The vegetable that doesn’t require a spiralizer to make vegetable noodles. I always say, the easier the better, and the less kitchen appliances the better! Or at least it will be more likely that I’ll do it. I enjoy cooking and cooking healthy recipes. However, there is a thing called life and a lot of time it’s the time that gets in the way. So the easier a recipe is, the less time intensive it is, and the less appliances you have to clean after is very important.

You do have too cook spaghetti squash, so it’s not a raw “noodle”, but it’s simple. It makes a lot and you can freeze it or have it as part of a meal prep for the whole week. It does take time to cook, but not a lot of your personal time. If you have never cooked a spaghetti squash before, check out my “How To Cook Spaghetti Squash” post.

Avocado Pesto

This pesto is something you can use on toast, with pasta, as a dip, etc. Usually pesto you find at the store has unnecessary oil and will add cheese to it. Which for here and there is not a bad thing, but if you want a healthier option to make sure the fats you are having are your healthy fats, and if you are trying to stay away from dairy but still want your pesto, check out this recipe!

Avocado Pesto

• Servings: 1 cup, 4 Servings
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 large avocado
• 2 garlic cloves, raw
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, you can use parmesan if you want dairy

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add 1-3 tablespoons of water to it while blending.
2. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutritional Information

1/4 Cup Serving

77 calories | 3.9 g total fat | 0.5 g polyunsaturated fat | 2.5 g monounsaturated fat | 0.5 g saturated fat | 0 g trans fats | 0 mg cholesterol | 535 mg sodium | 6.6 g carbohydrates | 2.9 g fiber | 0.6 g sugar | 5 g protein

Making a Meal or Side Dish

Spaghetti Squash with Avocado Pesto, Cannellini Beans, & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• Servings: 4 servings
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 medium size spaghetti squash, baked
• 1 Avocado Pesto Recipe
• 4 Sun-Dried Tomatoes, dry not packed in oil, chopped
• 1 15 oz can or 2 cups cooked Cannellini Beans (you can use another protein like chicken if you’d rather)
• Italian seasoning, if desired
• Salt and Pepper, if desired

Directions

1. Heat up the cannellini beans, if not already warmed. You can add Italian seasoning and salt and pepper if you’d like to season them for extra flavor. If warming on the stove, keep the juice from the canned beans and heat them with the seasoning.
2. Place about 2 cups of spaghetti squash noodles in a serving bowl. Add about 1/4 cup of avocado pesto on top.
3. Sprinkle with Sun-dried tomatoes & cannellini beans or chicken.
4. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information

1 Serving with Cannellini Beans

153 calories | 5.3 g total fat | 1.1 g polyunsaturated fat | 2.6 g monounsaturated fat | 0.8 g saturated fat | 0 g trans fats | 0 mg cholesterol | 568 mg sodium | 23 g carbohydrates | 7.4 g fiber | 6.3 g sugar | 7.4 g protein