Serves 4
SPAGHETTI SQUASH is the answer to a pasta lover’s prayers. The simple gourd can make dinner feel special, without much effort—all you have to do is run a fork through the halved squash after baking, and you’ve got tasty, pasta-like strands that can quench your craving for pasta—but with a fraction of the starch and none of the grains. You can literally sauce spaghetti squash 50 different ways—the most popular probably being with a traditional Bolognese sauce (here). Here, I’ve paired the beautiful squash with the no-fail combo of garlic and olive oil. It’s a great recipe for the whole family, but if you have a crowd, make a lot—especially if you invite me. I’ve been known to eat the entire squash myself.
1 spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons plus ½ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Using the tip of a sharp knife, poke holes, about an inch apart, all around the squash where you want to cut it in half. Put the whole squash in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. Remove it and you will discover it is much easier to cut in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds.
Rub each half all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place cut-side down in a shallow baking pan. Roast for 30 minutes, then flip cut-side up. Roast for 10 more minutes, until a fork goes into the flesh easily.
Let the squash sit for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle. Using a fork, scrape out the squash, which will come out in spaghetti-like strands.
Heat the remaining ½ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice, stirring once after each addition. Add the spaghetti squash and toss until coated. Serve hot over fresh spinach. If they don’t bother you, you can sprinkle the whole thing with sesame seeds, but if you are being strictly Pure, leave those out.
Note: It is extremely difficult and even dangerous to cut a spaghetti squash in half, even with a sharp knife, because the skin is so hard. See the first step for a much easier and safer way to halve your spaghetti squash.