Last year, a friend of mine told me she was eating a gluten-free diet and told me that instead of pasta, she often ate spaghetti squash for meals. So, being a skeptic, I was all “pffft, I bet it tastes nothing like pasta and everything like mushy squash”.
She made me some for lunch a few days later, with a roasted red pepper sauce, and steamed veggies and YOU GUYS. It was AMAAAAAAZING!
I now eat spaghetti squash whenever I can get my hands on it. Which is all the time now that it’s fall and squash is in every grocery store, around every corner, all over the place.
Recently, I’ve been playing with my recipes to be a bit more simple, and most as side dishes, as opposed to the star of the show.
This dish is my favourite. It is
Creamy
Bright
Soft
Garlic-y
Simple
Healthy
Rich
Absolutely Delicious
I usually serve it with some grilled tofu steaks, mashed taters and steamed veggies. Or I just shovel it in my mouth on it’s own. I won’t judge you if you do the same.
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- 3 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup fresh minced basil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce the squash a few times to let steam escape while it cooks. Bake for about 1 hour, or until you can easily pierce it wish a sharp knife. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Cut squash in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Set aside for roasting or just toss them in your compost. Using a fork, scrape the squash. You should be able to easily get long strands that look like spaghetti. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan over low-medium heat. Once warmed, add in the vegan butter and minced garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until garlic is very lightly browned. Add in the fresh basil, salt, pepper, and spaghetti squash. Mix well.
- Add in the vegan parmesan cheese, mix well, and adjust salt & pepper, if necessary.
- Serve. I find it to be a bit too heavy for main dish, but it works great as a side or a small lunch, alongside a crisp, green salad or other roasted veggies.
You are making me crave spaghetti squash like whoah! Too bad none of my plants came in this year. 🙁 (We took a risk on old seeds and lost!)
Oh darn! I’m hoping to grow some next year, hope I don’t have the same problem (I’ll remember to use new seeds!).