Spaghetti squash is kind of bizarre. There is something so strange about cutting open a pumpkin-like thing to find a plethora of stringy, spaghetti-like vegetable substance. Zack and I had never had it before, but since we've been attempting to eat low-carb, low-sugar (or a somewhat loose Paleo diet), we thought there was no time like the present.
I don't know if I would go for it plain, but mixed in with some mushrooms and sausage, your mind just might be tricked into thinking your eating some sort of pasta. And that's not a bad thing.
Roasted spaghetti squash with mushrooms
As adapted from Bliss.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3-4 branches of fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Shaved parmesan for garnish, optional
Chicken or turkey sausage of your choice, sliced on the diagonal (I used a combination of Trader Joe's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage and Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, lay sage leaves on top, season with salt and pepper, then place squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake squash for 45 minutes, or until squash flesh separates and strands easily with a fork. In a skillet over medium heat, saute garlic and mushrooms, until mushrooms are brown and tender. (I sauteed the chicken sausage in a separate skillet over medium-high heat at this point to heat through and brown slightly.) Add the squash, combining until heated through. Remove from heat and toss with scallions and parmesan. Serve squash with sausage and parmesan shavings on top.
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| Spaghetti squash, minus the chicken sausage. |
Well, to be honest, I wasn't quite sure about the spaghetti squash when I first got started. First of all, it was hard to slice in half. My little arms were like quivering by the end. I was seriously thinking, "Am I going to be able to cut this thing in half, or will I have to wait for Zack to get home?" Ha. Then I just had this weird is-this-really-coming-out-of-a-squash moment, as I pulled out the strands. And I was worried it was going to be too bland. However, with the combination of mushrooms and sausage, this meal was overall, very pleasing and satisfying. And when Zack and I took our leftovers to eat at a local coffee shop for lunch the next day, one of the girls working there just couldn't seem to believe how good it looked and smelled when she brought over our lattes. She was amazed. And then I thought, "Either she is seriously starving or maybe this doesn't look too weird/bad after all."
That's my spaghetti squash story. And this is my conclusion: spaghetti squash makes a nice pasta replacement given that you've got some other strong herbs/flavors or a nice sauce to pair it with. It's worth trying if you haven't. Cheers.
