Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce

Cooking spaghetti squash was yet another food-related discovery for me since we arrived to US.

What makes it interesting is spaghetti-like strands of pulp which can be scooped out with a fork after squash is cooked.

That gives so much room for creativity 🙂 . My first attempt was an easy choice: roast spaghetti squash and mix its pulp with simple tomato and basil sauce.

I hope you will like it.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5lb spaghetti squash
  • 1 onion
  • 3 roma tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • Salt to taste

How to prepare, step-by-step:

  1. Prepare ingredients: if you squash is bigger or smaller you may need to adjust roasting time:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 1
  2. Slice spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds with a tablespoon:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 2
  3. Arrange halves of squash in a baking pan sliced side down and put into oven preheated to 350F for 45 mins to an hour (until pulp can be easily scooped out):
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 3
  4. While squash is cooking, let’s make the sauce. Warm up saucepan with a tablespoon of oil over moderate heat; peel and grate onion on big slots of grater, add it to warmed up saucepan and fry for about 5 mins, stir occasionally:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 4
  5. Peel and chop garlics, add to the pan:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 5
  6. Blanch and deseed tomatoes (see here step-by-step instructions):
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 6
  7. Chop them in blender, add to the saucepan, mix and let simmer onions, garlic and tomatoes together for 12-15 mins:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 7
  8. Then remove sauce from the burner, salt a bit more than you would usually do (you need to compensate for unsalted squash), and let it cool down:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 8
  9. And add chopped basil:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 9
  10. Remove roasted spaghetti squash from the oven and let it cool down enough for you to safely scoop pulp out without burning yourself, use fork to do so:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 10a
    Repeat for both squash halves, arrange pulp in a mixing bowl:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 10b
  11. Pour prepared sauce in:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 11
  12. And mix:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 12
  13. Serve spaghetti squash with tomato basil sauce as a side dish or eat alone as a meat free main course:
    Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe: Step 13
Enjoy!