Spaghetti squash under a Parmesan lid
The vegetable that does a passable impression of pasta, finally dressed for company.
At a Glance
Story
The strands are no trick of the knife. A spaghetti squash grows its flesh in fibrous ribbons, so heat simply loosens what was already there, and you comb it out with a fork. You are not making noodles, you are releasing them.
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squashhalved lengthwise and seeded (3 to 4 lb)
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Parmesanfreshly grated
- ½ cup panko
- 1 clove garlicgrated
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 8 oz mozzarellacut into ½-inch cubes (optional, it melts into little pools among the strands)
- salt and black pepper
Method
A squash that spent its whole life being told it was a diet food, here allowed a molten cap of two cheeses and a rubble of garlicky crumbs. It will not fool anyone into thinking it is pasta. It was never trying to.
- Heat the oven to 450. Brush the cut side of each squash half with a tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay them cut-sides down on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Face down is the whole game: the flesh steams in its own shell and browns against the tray. Roast until a fork slides in easily, 35 to 40 minutes.
- While it roasts, stir together the Parmesan, panko, garlic, thyme and the last tablespoon of oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. This is your lid.
- Flip the halves and drag a fork through the flesh to rake it into strands, right there in the shell. Stir in half the mozzarella if you are using it, then scatter the rest over the top with the crumb mixture.
- Back into the oven until the top is golden and the cheese has gone to pools, 20 to 25 minutes. Eat it from the shell like the trough it is.
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