Spaghetti squash with fresh herbs and Gruyere

Poor spaghetti squash. It’s gone from being the “fun” squash that kids will (OK, might) actually eat because of its namesake-like appearance to being the misappropriated underpinning for pasta sauces consumed by the gluten-free or low-carb dieter. Having fallen into that latter category myself, I’d gone from liking spaghetti squash to resenting its existence. It’s not that it’s horrible with pasta sauces over the top; it’s just that it’s so not pasta and shouldn’t be pushed into service unless you’re truly desperate for some variety from zoodles. It falls into the category of “Well,I guess that wasn’t so bad,” which is just not the level of food to which to aspire.

Blessed with two spaghetti squashes we managed to save from our ravaging squirrels in the garden, I turned to this book that’s all about squash to see if I could redeem spaghetti squash back to its former golden roasted glory.

Fresh herb and Gruyere spaghetti squash saute

Adapted from “Smitten With Squash,” by Amanda Kay Paa.

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

½ cups pine nuts

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush squash halves with ½ tablespoon or so of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet for 25 minutes  or until tender. Let cool about 10 minutes, then use a fork to remove the flesh from the skin.

Toast pine nuts in a large saute pan. Remove and set aside. Heat remaining olive oil in the pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in herbs, vinegar, squash, cheese and nuts. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Rating: Nice. Repeatable. What spaghetti squash was meant to be when it gets dressed up.