Week 17: Spaghetti Squash New Mexican

Something that's so fun about going through these cooking adventures with Abby is that she is good at making me try new things. Things that I would have told you I didn't like. Last time it was eggplant. This time we had spaghetti squash. Not only did I learn that I like spaghetti squash, but now I'm motivated to find more recipes that use it!

Apparently it is common to use spaghetti squash simply as a substitute for pasta. While I would like to try it that way (with a jar of Ragu), this recipe combined strands of spaghetti squash with Southwest-inspire ingredients to make a sort of casserole.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium spaghetti squash
sea salt and ground pepper
EVOO, as needed
cumin and chili powder to taste
a splash of water, as needed
1 medium sweet or red onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 ears of fresh corn kernels cut off (we did bell pepper instead)
1 cup ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, halved
1 14-oz. can black beans, rinsed, drained well
2 whole roasted greed chiles, mild or spicy, seeded, chopped
1 lime - for zest and juice

For garnish:
toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
fresh chopped cilantro
lime wedges

Option:
cubes of goat cheese or feta

DIRECTIONS

First, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Half the squash lengthwise and place cut side up in a roasting pan. Season with sea salt and pepper, a drizzle of good olive oil, some cumin, chili powder (and garlic, if adding). Add two inches of water to the pan to help keep the squash from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Roast in a hot oven for about an hour, until the squash is fork-tender. Half way through roasting you might want to pour a little bit of water on each squash to keep them moist.

When the squash is done, remove it and let it cool.

Heat a splash of EVOO in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, corn kernels, and spices; stir for five minutes until the onion has softened.

Meanwhile, when the squash is cool enough to handle, take a fork and scrape the squash making spaghetti-like strands (this part was fun)!

Toss the squash strands into a large mixing bowl. Season with more sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle in some added cumin or chili powder, if you like, to taste. Toss well. Add the skillet mixture, tomatoes, black beans, green chiles. Combine. Grate a lime and add the zest. Cut and squeeze the lime juice all over the mixture and toss lightly.

Pour the mixture into a casserole style baking dish. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

If you'd rather do it up in a skillet, add the squash to the skillet mixture and stir in the remaining ingredients, as above. Cover and gently heat through over medium heat, roughly 5-10 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and feta, as your heart desires.