Spaghetti Squash

I love squash, I do, but I absolutely hate cleaning them out. It's the ooey-gooey insides that get to me. But, because I love squash so much I buck up and scoop out those nasty insides. What I found that works great for me is an ice cream scoop.  I don't think I will ever tire of squash. For me it's one of those foods that have endless possibilities. 

It's been a while since I've made this spaghetti squash recipe but I was dying for something different than eating pasta tonight and something lighter. I had the ingredients so I decided to take a stab at making it again. It really is an easy and quick dish to make. While the squash is cooking in the oven I'm getting the rest of the delicious ingredients ready.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes but I have tweaked it just a little. I will list the Allrecipes recipe with my tweaks in red.

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2. I LOVE garlic)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used 4 Roma tomatoes)
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons sliced black olives (I used a whole small can)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I used a small bunch of fresh basil. Can you really have too much?)
• I added a handful of fresh spinach

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. (I used a 9 x 13 glass pan and put a little water in the bottom so I didn't grease the pan then I put the squash flesh side down)

1. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

If you have never tried spaghetti squash before it is quite fun pulling out the stringy goodness that's inside. Wait until it's a little cool to the touch. Hold with one hand and use a fork to gently scrape/pull out the squash. 

This is what it will look like after you get it all scraped out and in the bowl

1. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm. (at this step I turned the heat off on the stove and added the fresh basil and spinach. I covered and let it sit until the squash was done)
2. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Quick tip: I start to saute the onions when I have about 10 minutes left on the timer for the squash. Works great and everything comes together nicely. The above recipe will serve 4 nicely.

Oh and I have to share my new kitchen gadget that I picked up at a local cooking store. I'm in love with it and need to go back and get a couple more. It's this handy dandy little spoon holder that clips on the side of your pan. 

Enjoy!