Fall and winter squashes are coming into season. But I’m not picky, I love ‘em all. Up until a few years ago I had never had spaghetti squash. I had heard talk of this squash that shreds into spaghetti like strands when you cook it. It wasn’t until I was at Bonefish for dinner one night and, it happened to be the vegetable of the day, that I finally got to try it. They did a simple roasted squash with brown sugar and it was delicious.
When I make spaghetti squash at home now I always start with a brown sugar base. Stick it in the oven with olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Once you take it out of the oven is when you can toss with your favorite toppings. For this recipe I chose a simple herb mix and parmesan cheese. For an ultra healthy meal add a can of diced tomatoes for faux spaghetti.
Spaghetti squash is so versatile. It can be a side dish, part of a main course, heck you could even serve me a big plate with brown sugar for dessert and I would be happy. The trickiest part to preparing the squash is cutting it in half. Even my new super sharp knife had difficulty. So instead of purchasing the biggest one I can find I go for the smaller squashes and get more than one if needed. It is much easier to cut the smaller ones than the big ole honkers.
- 1 spaghetti squash (3-4lbs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and cilantro – parsley is also a good choice)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp. You can roast the seeds just like pumpkin seeds if you wish.
- Brush cut sides of squash with olive oil and sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Place squash cut side down on a greased baking sheet.
- Roast 40-45 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Scrape the insides of squash with a fork tom yield long strands.
- Place in a large bowl and toss with parmesan cheese and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.
Adapted from Martha Stewart
This really looks good. I love spaghetti squash and herbs. My husband, well, not so much. I’ll have to make this for me for lunch when he is at work.
Thanks Renee, same in our family. If I make it for dinner I usually save the leftovers for lunch because hubby isn’t a huge fan. Tried with meatballs on top last night and still no go.
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