Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
You’d never guess by looking at its smooth exterior that when you roast the aptly named spaghetti squash and run a fork along the insides, the flesh will fall away in thin strands. In Spain it’s called cabello de angel , “angels’ hair,” and it’s usually served candied as a sweet. This stuffed squash is a wonderful side dish, but hearty enough to be a delicious main course.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large spaghetti squash, halved,seeds removed
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- Generous drizzles of olive oil
- Drizzle of honey
- 1/2 pound hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
- 1 cup finely grated Idiazábal cheese
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. Place the squash, cut sides up, in a large roasting pan. Season the flesh with salt, pepper, a sprig each of thyme and sage, a drizzle of olive oil, and a drizzle of honey. Roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
Finely chop the remaining herbs and toss with the mushrooms, Marcona almonds, and garlic.
Season with the vinegar, another splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper.
Once the squash is tender, scrape out the flesh with a fork into a large bowl, reserving the skin intact; if it’s cooked through, the flesh should have the texture and appearance of al dente spaghetti. Toss the squash together with the mushroom mixture and spoon back into the skins. Cover each squash half with the grated cheese and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms are cooked through. Serve piping hot.
