Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms & Burrata

I realize that my last few posts have seriously been lacking vegetables… if you’re following me for healthy recipes, I’m back on track with this Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Burrata.  I would have posted it sooner but it took me three times to get it exactly how I wanted it! Three times!!! So in the mean time I posted some treats.  And it was about time to share the Monster Cookies and Kefir Sourdough Pancakes. We’ve been camping and rafting the last few weekends (going camping and rafting again over the Fourth of July actually).  But Monster cookies and pancakes are staples for summer activities and appropriately eaten while in the great outdoors, so no guilt over my indulgences….

Every once in a while we do a vegetarian meal.  I tried doing Meatless Mondays on a regular basis for a while but got out of the habit and haven’t gotten back on track.  I really do enjoy vegetarian meals though and have several vegetarian cookbooks.  And actually, now that I think of it, my breakfasts and lunches are usually vegetarian and then I have meat (like an 8oz portion, so I guess I make up for my lack of meat……..) with dinner.  I listened to a webinar on protein a few weeks ago, and the presenter said they did a research project that showed that getting 30 grams of protein per meal is optimal for helping obtain and maintain a healthy weight and for muscle growth.  I’ve actually heard this before from other articles but it’s always good to have nutrition information reinforced.  I find it hard to get 30 grams of protein at a time if I’m not eating meat.  So I usually go for some cheese in all my vegetarian meals, lots and lots of cheese (and eggs, cottage cheese, nuts, lentils, beans).

I used my homemade pesto in this recipe.  It’s so good.  I love pesto, and to be honest I kept taking little bites of the spaghetti squash coated with the pesto while I was cooking.  Spaghetti squash with pesto is delicious!  I baked the spaghetti squash, let it sit a few minutes until it was cool enough to handle and then shredded it with a fork into a bowl.  I then mixed the pesto in with the spaghetti squash to keep it from getting overcooked. One of the reasons it took me three times to get this recipe right is that I kept overcooking the pesto and let it sit too long which then turned it a dark, gross, ugly, dark green color.  The second time I made this the store was out of burrata and I bought halloumi cheese instead, which tasted amazing with the pesto spaghetti squash but I didn’t like how it looked in the pictures… And I do think the burrata goes better with the meal overall anyway.

The creaminess of the burrata cheese with the pesto coated spaghetti squash, mushrooms, onions, and parmesan was so rich and satisfying. You can eat this dish hot or cold.  It tastes great either way.  Kris said it was perfect, of course 😉 and didn’t even mind that it was vegetarian. You could use fresh mozzarella if you can’t find burrata.  I’m obsessed with burrata right now…just need my tomatoes to ripen for caprese salad.  And I’ve been drinking rose wines…red seems too heavy when it’s above 90 degrees outside.

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Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms & Burrata

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Perfectly roasted spaghetti squash with pesto, onions, mushrooms, parmesan, and fresh burrata cheese. A delicious, satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Course: Vegetarian

Servings: 2 -4

Author: Emily

Ingredients

• 1 small-medium spaghetti squash cut in half, seeds removed
• 1 small yellow or white onion minced
• 8 oz baby portabella or white mushrooms sliced 1/4 - 1/8 inch thick
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 8 oz burrata cheese 4 balls
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place spaghetti squash on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before shredding.
2. While spaghetti squash is baking, mince and slice onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
3. Heat olive oil skillet over medium heat, add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to get translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and sauce for an additional 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if desired.
4. Remove mushroom - onion mixture from heat when done.
5. Meanwhile, once spaghetti squash has slightly cooled, shred with a fork into a medium bowl. Add pesto and stir to evenly coat spaghetti squash. Add 1/2 cup shredded parmesan and stir to combine.
6. Arrange pesto spaghetti squash on plates, top with mushroom - onion mixture, burrata cheese, drizzle with olive oil, top with pepper and more parmesan.
7. Enjoy