Baked Spaghetti Squash
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Spaghetti squash is a fun and easy vegetable to make. All you need to do is bake it and scrape it into noodle-like strands and it can stand in for spaghetti pasta. Just toss it with your favorite pesto or marinara. It is also good in soups and stews. But this recipe dresses it up a bit and it can stand alone as a vegetarian meal. Top it with a few grilled shrimp or tofu if you want some protein to give it more heft. It also has the added benefit of containing many vitamins and minerals and a good dose of fiber as well.
MAKES: 4 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 45 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large (3- to 4-pound) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced fine or grated
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush the cut sides of the squash half with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place squash, cut-sides down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the squash is tender when poked with a fork, 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan, panko, garlic, thyme and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Flip the squash and use a fork to scrape the squash into spaghetti strands. Stir in half the panko mixture, then sprinkle the top of the squash with the remaining panko mixture. Roast until the top is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
