spaghetti squash nests

The big squash question I always ask myself is “What the heck do I do with spaghetti squash?” And I don’t like to pretend it’s pasta or actually spaghetti. Come on, stay in your lane, squash!

So one day, I came across this recipe in an old cooking magazine I had, and it had me at nests. You all know I love a good stuffed vegetable, and this recipe allow you to use the spaghetti squash in a fun way, and stuff it with lots of goodies!

who's living in the nest?

One of the most fun things about stuffed – or nested – veggies, is that they’re completely adaptable to your tastes or what you have in the kitchen. These squash nests have an Italian flare with cremini mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, Italian sausage links, balsamic, parmesan, and basil. Oh, and lots of EVOO!

I love how all these ingredients come together to make almost like a Caprese salad with the sausage giving it a spicy kick. All within a tangle of healthy and nutty spaghetti squash!

The great thing about this recipe is it’s really super easy to make. You don’t have to worry about peeling or chopping up the squash into small pieces. You’re simply going to cut it into 4 rounds width-wise and then roast it in the oven.

You’re also going to roast the other ingredients alongside the squash, which is super easy. Just toss the mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage with some olive oil, and add to the roasting pan with the squash. The, sit back and relax for about 40 minutes while everything cooks.

When the veggies are done, the squash should be tender enough to just break apart the insides of each round with a fork to form a jumble of spaghetti-like shreds. Then you just spoon the rest of the ingredients into each nest, drizzle with balsamic, and add some freshly grated parm and some fresh basil leaves!

⟶ the recipe

spaghetti squash nests

ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

2 links of spicy Italian sausage or chorizo, sliced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Handful of chopped, fresh basil

Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Prep time

20 minutes

Cook time

40 minutes

Total time

1 hour

4 servings

instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim the end of the squash and cut it width-wise into 4 equal rounds. Place rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the rounds with olive oil and sprinkle each with salt and pepper.

Combine the mushrooms, tomatoes, sausage, and about a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Add some additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir ingredients together, and then spread out on the baking sheet in an even layer next to the squash rounds.

Roast until squash is tender and lightly browned on the top, about 40 minutes.

Using a fork, shred the squash in the rounds into long “noodles.” Spoon an equal amount of the mushroom and sausage mixture into each nest. Drizzle with balsamic, and top with parmesan and basil before serving.