half baked harvest spaghetti squash
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Cucurbita
Cucurbita (Latin for gourd)[3][4] is a genus of herbaceous vegetables in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as cucurbits or cucurbi) native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible vegetable, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance,[a] and for their seeds. Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria, which is in the same family and subfamily as Cucurbita, but in a different tribe. These other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of the Cucurbita species.
Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but non-vining “bush” cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. The yellow or orange flowers on a Cucurbita plant are of two types: female and male. The female flowers produce the fruit and the male flowers produce pollen. Many North and Central American species are visited by specialist bee pollinators, but other insects with more general feeding habits, such as honey bees, also visit.
There is debate about the taxonomy of the genus, as the number of accepted species varies from 13 to 30. The five domesticated species are Cucurbita argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo. All of these can be treated as winter squash because the full-grown fruits can be stored for months; however, C. pepo includes some cultivars that are better used only as summer squash.
The fruits of the genus Cucurbita are good sources of nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, among other nutrients according to species. The fruits have many culinary uses including pumpkin pie, biscuits, bread, desserts, puddings, beverages, and soups.
4 Cheese Roasted Garlic Alfredo Stuffed Spaghetti Squash.
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 head garlic
- olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
-
1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, spinach, sage, thyme, fontina, and mozzarella. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
3. Place the squash in a baking dish and season the cut sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 of the provolone cheese into the bottom of each squash, then evenly divide the milk/cheese mix among the squash cavities. Top with the remaining provolone and parmesan. Cover the squash with foil.
4. Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap it up.
5. Bake the squash and garlic for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from both and continue baking the squash and garlic another 15-20 minutes or until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden brown on top.
6. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves out into a bowl. Add the butter and 1 tablespoon sage. Mash the cloves into the butter with a fork. Spread the butter over the squash, then use a fork to scrape the squash into strands, mixing the cheese with the squash. Enjoy!
Half Baked Harvest Spaghetti Squash Recipes
Spaghetti squash is easily prepared in the oven–just cut it in half and bake it until the skin is easily pierced with a fork. You can then use it as a low-carb pasta substitute or turn it into salads. I often just eat it simply with some Parmesan cheese and olive oil. If you want you can season it before you bake it, but I usually spice it up later.
I was in the grocery store one day and spotted this interesting looking yellow hard squash, the spaghetti squash. I just had to try it, so I took it home and cooked it according to the label on the squash. I topped it with my favorite vegetables for pasta, and it was a instant family favorite.-Veronica McCann, Columbus, Ohio
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Place spaghetti squash, cut-side down, on the baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until skin can easily be pierced with a fork and spaghetti squash is tender, 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size of spaghetti squash.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Scrape out flesh with a fork and discard skins.
Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
INGREDIENTS
- 1 spaghetti squash*
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 6 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic* crushed
- 1 tsp parsley* dried
- 1 tsp oregano* dried
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- salt + pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ cups parmesan cheese grated
- ⅓ cup pecorino grated
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until squash is tender and can be shredded easily with a fork. Remove from oven, and remove seeds.
- Meanwhile, add the cream, cream cheese, butter, garlic, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, salt and pepper to a saucepan. Slowly heat the sauce until the butter and cream cheese have melted, stirring frequently. Add the milk, parmesan, and pecorino, and continue to heat the sauce, stirring frequently. Continue cooking for a slightly thicker sauce.
- Using a fork, scrape the spaghetti squash into four bowls. Top with alfredo sauce, oregano, cracked pepper, and shredded parmesan cheese.
“Spaghetti” and Meatballs
- With a sharp paring knife, pierce squash all over. Place on a microwave-safe platter or baking dish. Microwave on high for 5 minutes per pound, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine turkey, zucchini, garlic, smoked paprika, and 0.25 teaspoon each salt, and pepper. Form into 1.50 inch meatballs; place on a large platter. In a deep 12 inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add meatballs to skillet. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned on bottom; with this spatula, gently transfer meatballs back to platter. reduce heat to medium.
- To same skillet, add eggplant, and onion. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until beginning to soften, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Stir in tomatoes,vinegar, and 0.125 teaspoon salt. Nestle meatballs in sauce. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through, gently stirring occasionally.
- While meatballs cook, when squash are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise. With spoon, scrape out and discard seeds. With fork, scrape pulp to separate strands. Toss strands with arugula. Serve meatballs and sauce over squash mixture.
Braised Mediterranean Lentils with Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
For Spaghetti Squash:
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 rainbow or regular carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
For Braised Lentils:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup green lentils
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup pitted green and/or Kalamata olives, chopped
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, for serving
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Meanwhile, on a separate baking sheet, toss the carrots with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the honey, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast with the squash for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly charred and tender.
While the veggies roast, make the lentils. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and cook until lightly charred and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the lentils and toss to coat. Pour in the broth and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir in the basil, olives, artichokes, pine nuts and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Using a fork, scrape the roasted spaghetti squash into strands and divide among four plates or bowls. Add the roasted carrots and top with the braised lentils. Finish with the tomatoes and feta.
Courtesy of the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook
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