Monday, November 10, 2014

Pinned It Made It Monday Week 45

A couple of weeks ago I had purchased a spaghetti squash at Walmart for 49¢/lb (via price match, it was not that cheap normally) and oh how I wish I would have bought a bunch of them. I have only had spaghetti squash from the garden, so wasn't sure what one would be like from a store.

I baked it for an hour and then with 1/2 made THIS recipe from Pinterest that I forgot to take a picture of and then for supper made THIS recipe (Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo) from Pinterest. Both were absolutely delicious! I used garlic from our garden, so that was fun as well.


Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
via Comfort Cooking

Yield: Makes 2 large servings or 4 side dish servings

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 Tablespoon butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (I used fat-free)
1 Tablespoon cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons extra for topping
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, for optional garnish **I didn't do this**

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
First, prep the squash. Cut spaghetti squash in half using a large sharp knife, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet covered with water. Bake until tender, about an hour.
As an alternate way of baking: Poke a few holes deep into the whole squash with a paring knife. Bake for 60 minutes, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing in half with a large serrated knife. Scoop out the seedy inside leaving the spaghetti strands.
Once squash is cooked, use a fork to gently scrape the “spaghetti” strands into the center.
For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute while stirring. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Once hot, add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Top each half with a pinch of red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

Adapted from Food Doodles

and here is the recipe I didn't get a picture of:

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter

Servings: 6 Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 60

photo via steamykitchen

I tend to under-bake the spaghetti squash just a bit, so it still retains just a slight crunch. Baking time really depends on how big your squash is - try to get the smallest one, especially if you’re only feeding 4 people. It’s ready if you can pierce the squash with a paring knife with little resistance. If you’re a garlic love, don’t be shy - use more!

Alternatively, microwave the whole squash for 2-4 minutes (to soften enough to cut lengthwise). Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until tender.

Ingredients:

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)2 tablespoons butter2 cloves garlic, finely minced1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

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