Still Feeling Peckish

One of the things about living on an island with almost no agriculture (how much can you actually grow in a concrete jungle?) is that we have no choice but to import everything we eat. This isn’t really a downside as I see blueberries around the year, rotating from Australian to US to Chilean blueberries. And the same goes for a whole host of other produce that I’ve started to take for granted to be staples.

Recently however I got really excited because spaghetti squashes started to appear in the local supermarkets. They came in during the Halloween season; I presume this was pumpkin and squash season. So I baked my way through a bunch of squashes; stuffing them with spaghetti sauce, chicken Alfredo sauce and enjoying the low carb goodness of this squash.

Baked spaghetti squash stuffed with a hearty meat sauce.

Sad to say the spaghetti squash season has come to an end and this was the last squash I had that I had half forgotten at the back of the fridge. I decided to go for a really simple recipe that harnesses the richness of garlic and Parmesan cheese and the crunchy texture of the strands of squash. I swear this was the best way to treat the spaghetti squash – it highlighted the natural tastiness of the squash.

[Recipe title=”Garlicky Spaghetti Squash” Time=”1 hour” Servings=”4″ Difficulty=”Easy”]

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• 2-3 tbsp chopped spring onions (green parts only)
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

Slice the spaghetti squash into 2 halves. Scrape out the seeds.

Using a silicon brush, brush the cut sides and center of the spaghetti squash with olive oil. Sprinkle the exposed surfaces with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Turn the 2 halves of the squash over and place on the baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes.

Take the squash out of the oven and using a fork, scrape out the strands of squash and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat.

Melt the butter. Add the garlic slices and sauté till fragrant and slightly caramelized and tender.

Add the spaghetti squash. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add the seasoning (1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp of paprika) and stir through.

Add the Parmesan cheese and chopped spring onions and sauté further till the cheese has melted.

Serve hot.

[\recipe]