Love and Olive Oil

Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Basil, and Parmesan

Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Basil, and Parmesan

Fall is in the air.

The days are getting shorter…

The nights are crisp (by Nashville standards, anyway)…

The first winter squash appeared in our CSA…

Yep, it’s fall all right. And I can’t say that I’m sad about it, either. We’ve had an incredibly hot summer here, and I’m looking forward to the relief of the cool fall nights. I know I’ll probably be grumbling about the lack of daylight in a month or so, and then complaining about how cold it is the month after that… but right now, I’m resigned to the fact that fall is here and I’m ok with that.

That first winter squash was a spaghetti squash, quite possibly the cutest little spaghetti squash I’ve ever seen. Spaghetti squash is one of those things… it may sound like a silly name, but once you actually take one apart it makes complete sense, because it looks exactly like spaghetti. Spaghetti squash may just be the most logically named vegetable out there. Not to mention that when tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, and oregano, it makes a darn good replacement for spaghetti. It’s like faux-pasta. The Parmesan doesn’t hurt, either.

Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Basil, and Parmesan

Makes 2 servings or 4 side servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small (1.5 lb) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, and the seeds discarded
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves plus additional for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup thinly sliced cherry tomatoes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a glass baking dish, arrange the squash cut side down in about 1/2 inch of water. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) or until it is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, 1/4 cup of the basil, the oregano, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, stir in the tomatoes, and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
  4. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scrape it with a fork to form strands, add the strands to the tomato mixture, and toss the mixture until it is combined. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls, sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan over it, and garnish it with the additional basil.
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212 Comments

  1. i love being green!

  2. Spaghetti squash is fun, isn’t it? I’m not disappointed to see summer coming to an end either, but the heat doesn’t want to leave us here in the desert (I guess that’s why they call it a desert). I’m planning on baking a few fall goodies this weekend in hopes of jumpstarting mother nature!

  3. I am excited to try the recipe…and I’d love to try out the bags!

  4. These bags sound awesome!

  5. I was just telling my husband the other day about how I wanted to make spaghetti squash soon! Your recipe is now bookmarked for a dinner in the next few weeks. I’m also now looking into those reusable bags. I knew there HAD to be something out there like that, but had never come across anything.

  6. OH MY GOD SPAGHETTI SQUASH. i love autumn :)

  7. I find that I need loads of Parmesan with my spaghetti squash!

  8. I would LOVE those bags. Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite fall things. We’ve gotten acorn squash and a couple of butternut squash in our CSA so far-I love it since they store so well I can wait until I see some neat recipes to try them. :)

  9. Ahh that looks so good! I can never find any spaghetti squash in the stores around me though..or maybe I’ve just never looked thoroughly enough. If I find some, I’m definitely making this!

  10. I would be a great candidate for reusable bags…
    I use my nylon ones to go to Vitamin Cottage….
    and I love them.
    I have a reusable bag that I take my lunch in to work every day…
    with my organic veggies..
    like today… I had, red cabbage, carrots, and Kale… wanted to call it ccc
    but the kale wouldn’t let me…
    I live in ‘Fruit and Wine’ country in Colo… I have got to tell you…
    I stop at two local fruit stands every night…. just to make it fair…
    and I am using their plastic bags… oh, yuk…
    just think what I could do with the reusable ones…
    guess I know what I am getting for Xmas… since
    I know I will never win…
    have never won anything in my life..
    now I am resorting to guilt and shame…
    this is making me hungry for Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan….. not to mention the giveaway…
    hey did i mention that I now have five basil plants on my deck…
    I have been a fan of yours longer than any other person!!!!!
    True story!!!!

  11. These bags are great! Over half my groceries are usually fruits and veggies, so I knooow I could use this.
    Also… I’m a Nashvillian, myself. You mentioned a CSA – where do you do you grocery shopping? I’m always looking to expand my horizons. I love Produce Place but it’s hard for me to get there when they are open.

  12. I have some green bags for produce too. They are a pain to wash & resuse.

  13. I love spaghetti squash — it’s just so fun to eat!

    These bags look great! I try to not get produce bags at the grocery, but it’s hard for small things like mushrooms or snap peas.

  14. Oh wow…these are great bags…I love that they used recycled material. I hate using the plastic produce bags because I already use my own bags. Very cool!

  15. I love those bags choose me!

  16. I don’t know that I’ve ever had really well prepared spaghetti squash but I love the sound of it! You prepared it so nicely and simply with the tomatoes, basil and parmesan. A transition meal if ever I saw one.

  17. I am always looking for ways to use spaghetti squash. It is such an intriguing vegetable but I never know what to do with it. Thanks for a delicious looking recipe!

  18. Thosse sound great. I didn’t know about them.

  19. Your blog is AWESOME! I always find great recipes, beautiful photography, and a lovely layout. The bags look great! and I would use them….

  20. LOVE the bags!

  21. Great looking recipe and the bags look wonderful!

  22. I would love some of these. I’ve used other produce bags (like the ones lemons come in) and the cashiers freak out! lol mimsfam at gmail dot com

  23. And because I’m a glutton and I REALLY want these bags, here is a link to my facebook profile where I posted the recipe …
    http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/bethannem

  24. I would LOVE some reusable produce bags. They will be a great compliment to me reusable shopping bags!

    Thanks for a great recipe as well :)

  25. Ah! Green bags would definitely help me carry groceries up 3 flights of stairs

  26. I planned to make one last peach cobbler tonight but when I arrived home I found my husband had thrown away the peaches. I need a produce saver bag. I’ll use it for yummy fall veggies like spaghetti squash that are right around the corner.

  27. I absolutely love love love love spaghetti squash. I’m also looking forward to fall flavors…now, if only I could rid my veggie drawer of cucumbers….

  28. sounds like a fabulous product. Would love the chance to try it out.

  29. This recipe looks delicious! I’m bookmarking it to try next menu go around! And I have had reusable produce bags on my mind for quite some time. These look wonderful!

  30. Looks delicious! and the bags look great too!

  31. I’ve been using produce saver green bags for all of our CSA produce. They do work well but I agree that they’re a huge pain to wash and dry. I love the idea of a mesh bag that’s machine washable.

  32. those bags are a great idea!

  33. This dish seems to be an excellently delicious alternative to spaghetti. These produce bags sound like a dream come true.

  34. I was reading the recipe and planning on making it for dinner Friday night. And then there is the giveaway and it is such a bonus. Thank you!

  35. Bags look awesome! we just use newspaper, so these bags would be pretty nice :)

    Also, I love spaghetti squash! What CSA are you apart of?

  36. I love spaghetti squash! my last recipe used cumin and black pepper, but I’ll have to try this one next. :) ~and like the rest of us, I’ve been wanting to buy some reusable produce bags, and just haven’t bought them yet. Want!

  37. The produce bags are an awesome idea! They are that final thing at the grocery store that needed to become reusable.

  38. The produce bags sound amazing. Can’t wait to try the recipe as well. What a perfect one for fall!

  39. those bags look great!

  40. I love spaghetti squash!…..but i would roast the tomatoes with some olive oil before tossing it with the squash…..fresh basil and parmesan are a must!….yum!

  41. The bags are cute! The pictures are gorgeous. The food sounds delicious. Sorry I didn’t meet you at FBF.

  42. We also got a spaghetti squash in our csa share this week. We’re in Vermont, though, so I would think Nashville would get them later in the month? Anyway, now I don’t have to go search for a recipe- so thanks! :-)

    Also, I have several products from reuseit and I would love to try the produce bags.

  43. I have some green bags that I ABSOLUTELY love. They keep my produce fresh for an unreal amount of time. I would love to take it another step and cut out what few plastic bags I do use at the grocery. The mesh bags are perfect! I hope I win.

  44. What a way to help save the earth!!!! RECYCLE……….sounds like a no brainer. Please count me in to,hopefully, win these great items.
    Love the blog!

  45. I would love to try the reusable bags.

  46. Yum!! Sounds delish! :)

  47. I’ve been wanting reusable produce bags for a while now. I can’t seem to find them anywhere near me and I haven’t gotten around to ordering any.

  48. I would love some reuseable produce bags! I go through so many plastic ones every week.

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