Spaghetti Squash with Maple Syrup and Shallots

In the next post, I'll continue the turkey brining discussion, and move on into roasting the sucker.

Meantime, here's a yummy Thanksgiving side dish!

Spaghetti squash is so weird.

So wonderfully, deliciously weird.

If you've never tried it before, you have to! The texture is out of this world.

 

Grab one or two medium-sized spaghetti squash. Put 'em on a cookie sheet and stick 'em in a 375-degree oven. Bake for one hour if they're a little larger, forty-five minutes if they're small.

 

 

 

This is an hour later. Things have been happening within.

 

 

 

With a very sharp knife, carefully, gracefully, and gingerly whack them in half.

 

 

 

With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and the slimy pulp surrounding the seeds.

 

 

 

I don't care if this is edible. It just doesn't look right, does it?

Blech.

 

 

 

Back to the squash, just grab a fork and begin picking. You'll see the magic happen! All of a sudden, this stuff that looks like solid squash breaks apart into beautiful, thin pieces of…spaghetti!

 

 

 

Scrape the entire squash into a bowl, then discard the shells. (Or, if you're feeling fancy, you can save the shells and serve the squash in them. Martha would be pleased!)

 

 

 

Now, grab a couple of shallots.

 

 

 

Peel them…

 

 

 

Cut them in half and make vertical slices…

 

 

 

Then dice them up finely.

 

 

 

Melt butter in a skillet…

 

 

 

Then throw in the shallots. Stir them around and cook them for a minute or two, until they slightly soften and lose a little of their kick.

 

 

 

Next, reduce the heat a bit and pour in some maple syrup. (If you're feeling naughty, you can also splash in a teeny bit of brandy or whisky. Don't tell anyone.)

 

 

 

Sprinkle in a little salt to balance the sweetness, then let the whole mixture bubble for a minute or two.

Not too long. You're not making candy here.

 

 

 

A minute or so later, just pour the contents of the skillet over the warm squash.

 

 

 

Flavor!

 

 

 

Mix it all together, then check the seasonings. Sprinkle in a little nutmeg. If you want to look into the bowl and think about how freaking weird this stuff looks, that would be perfectly normal, too.

 

 

 

But then you need to taste it.

And then you'll understand.

Enjoy this! It's so, so yummy.

 


Recipe: Spaghetti Squash with Maple Syrup and Shallots

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
 | 
Cook Time: 1 Hour
 | 
Difficulty: Easy
 | 
Servings: 8

Print Recipe
3"x5" Cards
4"x6" Cards
Full Page

[image error] ');






Ingredients
2 whole Medium Spaghetti Squash3 Tablespoons Butter2 whole Shallots, Finely Minced¼ cups Maple Syrup Dash Of Salt Dash Of Nutmeg Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pierce spaghetti squash a few times with a sharp knife. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour.

Cut squash in half. Scoop out and discard seeds and slimy pulp. Scrap out the rest of the squash with a fork. Place in a bowl. Keep warm.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Cook shallots over medium heat for 2 minutes or until soft. Reduce heat and add maple syrup. Cook for a minute, then remove from heat. Stir in salt.

Pour mixture over squash. Sprinkle on nutmeg and mix together gently. Sever warm.