Spaghetti Squash Pomodoro

Have you ever eaten spaghetti squash? Not many people have. We tried it a few years ago with limited success. But when I saw this recipe in the Wegman's magazine I thought it was worth another shot.

The squash I bought was HUGE. So big, in fact, that Mark thought it was a pumpkin. He convinced the kids it was a pumpkin. He drew a face on it. And then he made the kids cry because I told them that no, we couldn't carve it.I think he just didn't want to eat it.

Anyways... after a few weeks of sitting on the counter I decided to make it. On my way home from work I called Mark and asked him to cut it in half and place it in the microwave like the directions said. He sent me the following picture with the caption "I told you it was a pumpkin!"

It had pumpkin guts. And pumpkin seeds. Crap. Was it a pumpkin after all? I did not give in. We cooked it up. We pulled the guts out. I ran my fork down the sides and... success!! Spaghetti!The rest of the recipe progressed without any further concerns.

INGREDIENTS

1 large spaghetti squash, halved stem to blossom end, seeded
1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 small cooking onion, minced (1/2 cup)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large clove Garlic, minced
1 small sprig Fresh Rosemary
1/2 of a 28 oz can Italian Classics San Marzano Tomatoes (with juices), tomatoes crushed or blended (1 1/2 cups) Or, you know, just regular tomatoes. Fresh or canned.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
12 small leaves Basil, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Place squash, skin side up (one half at a time), on microwave-safe dish; cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH, 10-12 min, until tender. Let rest covered, 10-15 min, until cool enough to handle; carefully remove plastic wrap to avoid steam.
2. Run tines of fork lengthwise over cut surface of squash to loosen spaghetti-like strands; scoop out strands.
3. Heat oil in skillet on MEDIUM-LOW; add onion and pepper flakes; cook 5 min, or until onion is translucent but not browned.
4. Add garlic; continue to cook another 2 min. Add rosemary and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Simmer on LOW 10 min. Remove and discard rosemary.
5. Add spaghetti squash to sauce; toss quickly and gently to heat through.
   
6. Top each serving with 1/2 tsp cheese and garnish with basil.

VERDICT

Mark complained that it "tasted like spaghetti." I think that was the point. I'm fairly certain that if you were to serve this up to unsuspecting guests they wouldn't know the difference. The color is a bit off, but I'm sure you could explain that away.

Regardless, it was a healthy recipe, a unique vegetable and presentation, and it was pretty tasty.NUTRITION

Each serving (4 oz squash & sauce) contains 45 calories, 6 g carbohydrate, (1 g fiber), 1 g protein, 2 g fat, (0 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, and 40 mg sodium.

Calories: 45