Simple Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is great way to get veggies in. It's got a nice crunch to every bite. The fresh tomatoes and basil add to the flavor profile. Here, I served with a side of broccolini which makes this dish veggies on veggies on veggies.
I find spaghetti squash very mesmerizing to prepare. I first discovered spaghetti squash in college while researching what to bring to a potluck. I didn't quite believe the transformation of what I was seeing and knew I just had to try it for myself! The novelty has still not worn off, and I feel like I'm equally amazing watching the strands fall out into spaghetti formation.
I wanted to use fresh tomatoes in this to prove to myself that I could make this dish from scratch. The results rightly justified my decision! My absolute favorite thing in cooking is fresh herbs. Basil is one of my personal favorites! It adds a freshness really brightens up the dish.
The cooking order will be as follows:
- Prep the squash to cook
- Make the tomato sauce
- Separate the spaghetti squash and add to the tomato sauce
Simple Spaghetti Squash
Serves ~10
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 7 medium sized tomatoes
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- 12oz bag spinach roughly chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Crushed red peppers
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 F
Wash the spaghetti squash and cut width wise to get circles
Rub olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on each of the slices
Place on a baking tray and bake for 30 mins
Dice the tomatoes
Once the pan is hot with oil, carefully place in the tomatoes and cook down
Season the tomatoes to taste with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper
Stir in the spinach just before adding the spaghetti squash
Slice the basil into thin ribbons
Once the spaghetti squash has finished cooking, let it cool down enough to handle
Take a fork to scrape down the squash, strings of "spaghetti" should begin to separate
Add spaghetti squash and the basil to the tomatoes
Combine together and adjust the flavor as needed
Cooking Note:
Serving size will depend largely on the size of the squash itself
Cutting the squash width-wise gets you longer strands of spaghetti because the fibers wrap along in the same direction
It is a good idea to cook down the tomatoes so there is not too much excess tomato juice
Adding brown sugar to tomatoes cuts down on the sharp acidity leaving a rich tomato flavor
