Name: Beet Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Gouda
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 medium spaghetti squash; Extra-virgin olive oil; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup raw or roasted almonds; 2 cups diced cooked beets (see note); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 3/4 teaspoon sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes; 1/3 cup shredded pecorino cheese; 4 ounces gouda cheese, shredded; Parsley and hot red pepper flakes, for garnish

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This beet pesto spaghetti squash with gouda makes a fantastic festive side dish. Roasted spaghetti squash is tossed with beet almond pesto and topped with gouda cheese, then placed in the oven until the cheese melts. It’s a simple, eye-catching dish that’s sure to impress!

Well hello my friends and happy Monday. I hope that you had a lovely weekend! Just a heads-up: I will likely be dropping down to sharing just three new recipes per week instead of my usual five for the month of December. I have realized that five posts a week is biting off more than I can chew when this is not my full-time job (although I wish it was!), and I am making the conscious decision to make myself available and be fully present for family, friends, and just enjoying good food and fun times over the holiday season. Trying to prevent burnout from occurring before it’s too late. 🙂 I might add some fun recipe roundups in place of new recipes, though, so keep an eye out for those!

Okay, now that I’ve shared that with you, I want to tell you all about this beet pesto spaghetti squash. It’s a vibrant, visually appealing, and very flavourful side dish that you can pair with virtually any protein. I served this for dinner alongside eggs; ’twas the perfect meal.

Spaghetti squash is so simple to prepare. Of course, you need to be careful when slicing it in half, as it is quite tough! Once you slice it, simply scoop out the seeds, brush the insides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then roast it until it’s tender, pour out any water that’s collected inside, and use a fork to make “spaghetti” strands. That’s all there is to it! Of course, real pasta has a very special place in my heart, but spaghetti squash is almost as good, and a nice, lightened-up change from pasta… from time to time!

ingredients you’ll need

To make this beet pesto spaghetti squash, you’ll need spaghetti squash, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, beets, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, pecorino, hot red pepper flakes, and gouda.

the method

Prepare the spaghetti squash: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, if desired. Slice the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and brush the cut sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast, cut sides facing up, for 35-45 minutes, until tender all the way through. Once cooked, drain out any excess water. Use a fork to make strands of “spaghetti” in each squash half. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F.

Meanwhile, make the beet pesto: In a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade, grind the almonds into a meal. Add the beets, garlic, lemon, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, pecorino, and hot red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

Add a couple of spoonfuls of the beet pesto to each spaghetti squash half and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Garnish with fresh parsley and additional hot red pepper flakes and enjoy!

more winter squash recipes

Finally, I hope that you love this beet pesto spaghetti squash with gouda! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made.

Enjoy!