Spaghetti Squash with Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Spinach

SERVES 4 TO 6 · GF, VEGAN ADAPTABLE, DF ADAPTABLE

I love substituting a whole food, such as squash, for a processed (and usually refined) food, such as pasta. Furthermore, I can eat a lot more spaghetti squash than pasta and not feel heavy and weighed down. While it is considered a winter squash, spaghetti squash has the water content of a summer squash. It is much lower in carbohydrates than a butternut squash, for example. All that water makes for a very mild flavor, so I always pair it with such ingredients as garlic, chiles, and lots of herbs. This heavenly mixture of vegetables, garlic, and herbs would also work well as a topping for traditional pasta. This could easily be a vegetarian main dish to which you can add cooked white beans or chickpeas and/or toasted pine nuts.

1 spaghetti squash (about 3¼ pounds)

¼ cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling the squash

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps wiped clean with a damp paper towel and sliced

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved

2 big handfuls baby spinach leaves

½ cup fresh basil leaves

Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional; omit for vegan/DF)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Rub the inside of each half with a drizzle of olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Arrange, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender. Check doneness by inserting a fork between the skin and the flesh. If it is tender and you can start to create strands with the fork, then it’s done.

2, Flip them over (otherwise they’ll keep cooking) and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until caramelized and just tender, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the tomatoes and two big pinches of salt, plus black pepper to taste. Cook the tomatoes, stirring, until they start to lose their shape, about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes. Tear or slice the basil leaves and stir into the mixture. Check for seasoning and remove from the heat.

6. Using a fork, pull the strands of squash crosswise (the short way) from the peel so that it resembles spaghetti. Place the strands into a serving bowl and add the sauce. If you cook the spaghetti squash in advance and it is no longer hot, add it to the sauce in the sauté pan and sauté over medium heat until warmed through. Add the Parmesan or pecorino, if using, and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning. Since spaghetti squash is rather bland, you will need to add extra salt and black pepper.

ASK PAMELA: How do I pick out a good spaghetti squash? When they’re in season, they should all be good so long as the skin is smooth and tight and there are no soft spots or bruises. I think the paler-skinned squashes make better, more separate strands. It’s good to know that a smaller spaghetti squash requires less roasting time and a larger squash requires more.

TIP: To cut a spaghetti squash, first slice off the stem end. Then insert the tip of your knife an inch or two above the round mark at the bottom of the squash and pull down, making a small cut. Move the knife another inch or two above the first cut and pull down again. Keep moving toward the center of the squash until you reach the middle, then flip the squash around and insert the knife in the middle and pull down in the opposite direction. It should split in half all the way. Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon.