Spaghetti Squash Pan Fry

Spaghetti squash — what an amazing squash and so abundant this time of year. A great alternative to pasta, really! Because this vegetable does such an incredible job of absorbing the flavor of anything you put in the pan with it, which makes it such a versatile side dish. Luckily for me, one of these babies showed up in my Farm Table produce box a couple weeks ago!

Ingredients:

• 1 whole spaghetti squash
• 3T olive oil
• Pinch of dried chilis (or red pepper flakes)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 12-basil, leaves cut in ribbons
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• Wedge of lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste

To create the dish below we have to cut the squash in half and remove the soft center part which contains seeds (you can roast these like pumpkin seeds). Once the squash is hollowed out you can take a fork and scrape the remaining fleshy part downward to shred the pulp. Some shreddings will be short, some long, depending on ripeness and size.

Directions:

Heat olive oil in the pan and add the chili peppers, stirring. Once they start to brown add the garlic, stirring until soft but not brown. Add the shredded squash, stirring to mix and until heated. Add the parmesan, basil, and salt/pepper to taste, mixing well. When you remove it from the pan, squeeze a little lemon juice and serve immediately.

Honestly, this was the first time I had cooked with this type of squash since it showed up in the produce box — now it certainly will not be the last! Have you cooked with spaghetti squash and what is your tried and true recipe or ingredients?

E.A.T. local E.A.T. well