Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage

This healthy low carb Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage makes an easy dinner that’s is packed with protein, veggies, and a quick homemade basil pesto. For just 350 calories and 6 Weight Watchers SmartPoints, it make a great substitute for your favorite pesto pasta.

Sometimes the very best recipes are ones that happen completely by accident and necessity. This is one of those recipes. Originally I was planning on making a creamy basil spaghetti squash dish, which I probably will still make eventually, but I realized I had completely forgotten the cream element of the sauce. Staring at the ingredients and determined to make something for dinner, I immediately thought of pesto.

Not only is pesto the perfect vehicle for all the basil, it’s something I absolutely love with spaghetti squash. It mimics some of my favorite pasta dishes and the pesto and slightly sweet spaghetti squash are made for each other. Then to pack in even more flavor, I added some browned lean turkey sausage. The seasoning of the sausage kicks up the flavor of the whole dish and adds protein to make it a more complete meal. You could use almost any protein you like – chicken, shrimp, ground turkey, tofu, or even white beans would work.

Tips for Making this Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage

• Pesto can be made all kinds of different ways. Traditionally it uses basil and pine nuts, but you can try different greens and nuts. I love making it with spinach, cilantro, kale, or parsley. You can use walnuts, almonds, and even cashews. For a more traditional style, add some extra olive oil and for a creamy version add some cream cheese or half and half.
• Spaghetti squash can be roasted in the oven or quickly cooked in the microwave. Roasting it will add a touch more flavor but with such a flavorful sauce, you can’t really taste the difference in this recipe.
• For a Whole30 or Paleo version, leave out the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Use a touch more olive oil in the pesto and add some extra salt if needed.
• For some extra veggies, toss in some fresh or cooked cherry tomatoes. You can also use canned diced tomatoes.

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