Spaghetti Squash is a filling, but lighter alternative to pasta and it's it's like a blank palette that's by nature gluten-free and packed with fiber and vitamins. This dish is also vegan (just eliminate or substitute the Parmesan) but satisfying to the carnivore - but you can add sausage or chorizo for the real holdout carnivore, see note below. Here we did a mediterranean spin with olives, tomatoes, parsley and pesto.
- One large spaghetti squash cut in half
- about a dozen calamari olives pitted and sliced
- one large tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- a good cube of shaved parmesan
- olive oil for brushing the squash and drizzling later
To make the Pesto
- 1.5 cups of cashews
- 1 cup of basil, big stems removed
- 1/4 cup of water
- salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 while slicing the squash. Place squash halves on one large cookie sheet and brush with olive oil and salt and pepper. Turn over so they are positioned cut side down. Roast until tender about 1 hour. You can check with a fork to see if the strands are soft and pull out easily. When finished, allow about 20 minutes for squash to cool.
In the meantime, run the cashews, basil and water through the food processor. Add more water if too thick. Spoon into a small bowl. Reserve.
Once squash has cooled, run a fork across to capture the strands from the flesh of the squash and add to bowl. Combine. Add salt, pepper to taste and 2 to 3 TBSP of a good olive oil. Combine with tomatoes, parsley, and olives. Transfer to a serving platter and add the pesto and shaved parmesan. Add more salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil before serving. You can mix the pesto in before serving or let diners mix in as they serve.
This dish is gluten-free.
For the Vegan - Eliminate the parmesan or we like Go Veggie! Grated Parmesan or Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan Shreds as a vegan option.
For the Carnivore - using 6 ounces of Italian sausage or Spanish chorizo, finely chop, then cook in 1 TSBP of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.