PUMPKIN SEED PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOWLS / October 23, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOWLS | dolly and oatmeal

we’re heavy into pumpkins at the moment here at our house. amesy is in full-on halloween mode - listening to a halloween album non-stop, asking to watch “it’s the great pumpkin, charlie brown” again and again, and spotting each and every pumpkin on doorstops and grocery stores like it’s his job! which is all to say that the halloween/spooky vibe has never felt so spirited than before, and i’m going with it full throttle. i remember counting down the days until halloween, planning what my costume would be, and i can imagine that’s what amesy is feeling to a certain degree (as much as 3-year old can, of course). for a while there he wasn’t understanding what a costume was, and didn’t want to dress up. then, all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, all amesy could talk about was wanting to “skooky punkin” (aka, spooky pumpkin). when i asked him what his baby brother should be, he said: a pumpkin. when asked what me and my husband should be, he said: pumpkins! suffice to say, ames is all about the pumpkins, so we’re rolling with that this year (even though i have a sneaking suspicion he’s really going to want to wear his dinosaur costume from last year…we shall see). in any event, i can’t wait to see how halloween unfolds for him - being witness to his enthusiasm for holidays, and life in general, is the greatest gift.

i’m trying (very slowly it seems) to keep up my end of the bargain and cook all things pumpkin, pumpkin spice, etc., etc. but with all the pumpkin everything recipes out there, i thought i would share an equally festive, but savory use of pumpkin, that is: the pumpkin seeds. today we’re making a vegan pumpkin seed-based pesto. we add a bit more seeds than a traditional pesto calls for as that’s where a lot of the full-bodied, nutty flavor comes from. the pumpkin seeds provide a lovely toasted essence and really creamy texture. we also add a mixture of basil and arugula (a combination i love), your typical garlic, lemon juice, and salt, too. i use here Thrive Algae Oil too. since olive oil is what’s typically used in pesto, and because it offers a distinct flavor, i wanted to see if algae oil would be just as good. turns out it is!! not only does the oil let the other flavors shine (algae oil is flavorless!), but it offers the pesto a kind of luscious texture that almost felt buttery, and i don’t have to sacrifice nutrition for better taste and consistency. thrive algae oil actually has more good fats and less bad fats than olive or any other oil, with 90% heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. needless to say, i will be reaching for it anytime i make pesto going forward, and i nudge you to as well! algae oil is widely available at grocery stores nationwide, and online as well.

*this post was created in partnership with Thrive Algae Oil. all thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own. thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOWLS | V & GF

feel free to serve this pesto over spaghetti or any pasta of choice. alternatively, if you’re in a warmer climate, zucchini noodles would be wonderful as well. we generally like to add some protein to the mix here. i love a piece of roasted wild salmon, personally. but you could add ground or roasted chicken (or turkey), chicken sausage, chickpeas, or cooked lentils.

print the recipe!

| serve 2-4 |

1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise
Thrive Algae Oil spray
2 cups fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 clove garlic, smashed
fine sea salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Thrive Algae Oil

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
spray the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with oil, and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. cook for 40-50 minutes, until squash flesh is tender. remove from the oven and set aside.
while the squash is cooking, make the pesto. in a container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, combine the basil, arugula, toasted pumpkin seeds (reserve a few for later), lemon juice, garlic, a few big pinches of salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. with the motor running drizzle in the oil until everything comes together to form a fluid paste. taste and adjust, adding more salt, lemon juice, and/or oil. set aside.
once the squash has cooled enough to touch, use a fork to scrape the strands from each squash half. transfer strands to two bowls, and season with salt and pepper, give it a good toss. add a few tablespoons pesto to each bowl, garnish with chopped basil, and reserved pumpkin seeds. serve with protein of choice (optional), and enjoy warm.

similar recipes:

baked purple kale & spaghetti squash cakes

broken lasagna w/ vegan white pesto & broccoli rabe

(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes / October 23, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes - dolly and oatmeal

my spaghetti squash was lying on the kitchen counter for a little over a week before i knew what i wanted to do with it. sure i could have made some recipes that are the usual suspects around here when fall come into town, but i wanted to use the squash strands for something different this season. spaghetti squash is my absolute favorite of the squash family. yes, on the exterior it's a quite underwhelming: it has muted yellow skin, and a smooth and mundane surface. i guess one could surmise that spaghetti squash, despite it's cool name, it somewhat lackluster judging from the outside. but as soon as you cut them open, you recognize how major they are! what plant or vegetable out there gives you perfectly shaped, noodle-like strands without the use of any sort of tool (unless a fork counts as a tool? are tools and utensils the same?). most. genius. veggie. everrr!

like i said, i wanted to make something with the squash i never had. so with a little exploring of what my mouth likes to taste and what my belly likes to eat, i decided to go the route of some form of burger, patty, cake, or fritter of some sort. this made me think of my great-grandmother's german potato latkes that my mom would make around hanukkah. my favorite thing about them was always the lone strands of potato that would make up the edges of the latke - those little crunchies alone were my inspiration for these squash cakes. i thought the squash strands would be perfect to give the edges that crisp and crunch i was longing for, and they did just that! the rest of the cake mixture is made up of some tasty seasonings as i was going for a latin-light vibe here. i toyed around with pan frying them and making them thinner (much like my mom's latkes) but i opted for a lighter interpretation that cuts down the use of oil and keeps your kitchen free of frying-oil odor. so in they went into the oven. and they were some form of perfection - super crunchy on the outside, with a billowy, sog-free center. there's a little bit of prep work involved in these, but once everything is chopped, they're a cinch to just throw in the oven. and with just frank and i, we had plenty of leftovers for lunch and dinner throughout the week.

(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes w/ sriracha avocado sauce | gf + dairy free |

| makes 10 cakes |

inspired by Sprouted Kitchen

ingredients

for the cakes:

1 spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise
1 cup purple kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 small-medium shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1/3 cup oat flour (ground from gluten free rolled oats in a food processor)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
neutral oil for greasing baking pan (grapeseed works the best here)

*also needed: a clean tea towel or cheesecloth to wring out squash

for the avocado sriracha sauce:

1 ripe avocado, pitted
2 tablespoons cilantro
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more or less depending on how creamy you want it)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 medium shallot (or ~2 tablespoons chopped red onion)
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
salt to taste
~3-4 tablespoons water, to thin consistency

instructions

make the cakes

preheat oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. cut the squash in half, lengthwise and scrape out the seeds (reserve seeds for toasting! totally optional, but also totally yum). brush the flesh with olive oil and place face down onto the baking sheet. bake for 35-40 minutes until knife-tender. remove squash from oven and let it cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes. this is a good time to prep the rest of your ingredients)
preheat the oven back to 400°. once the squash is cool, use a fork to scrape the flesh into long strands. one half at a time, place the scraped squash strands into a clean tea towel (or cheesecloth) and wring out as much liquid as possible (i was actually amzed how much liquid the spaghetti squash contains!). place wrung out squash in a large bowl and repeat with the other half. place chopped kale, cilantro, shallots and garlic in the bowl with the squash and mix until thoroughly combined. add egg and combine once more. set aside
in a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, ground flaxseed, salt, baking powder, chili powder, cumin and cayenne (if using) . pour the dry ingredients into the kale and squash mixture, and mix. set aside
oil a large rimmed baking sheet. using a 1/4 cup measure, pack it almost to the top and press the cake mixture into the cup measure to make compact. turn measure over and tap out onto the palm of your hand. place on oiled baking sheet, use the back of the measure, or your fingers, and press the cake down just a bit (it should be just under an inch thick). repeat with the rest of the mixture until you have 10 cakes
place baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. at the end of 20 minutes take cakes out of oven and flip them over to brown the other side. place back in the oven for 5 additional minutes. remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes, or eat them at room temperature. top with avocado sriracha sauce and garnish with cilantro
store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

make the avocado sriracha sauce

place all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until desired consistency. (you made need more water depending on how thin you want the sauce.)

enjoy!