Spaghetti squash has become one of my favorite foods (my mother will tell you that she can now see pigs flying across a sky that has fallen to the earth). I was a girl who used to refuse to eat squash of any sort to begin eating spaghetti squash on a bi-weekly basis, but loving something new is one of the beauties of expanding your horizons. Nowadays, I eat butternut squash without regard to the season (sacrilege I know), I add zucchini to ninety percent of my dishes (possibly more), I even eat yellow squash – though I reluctantly admit I am still coming around to it.

I am a textural eater and my aversion to squash has been its texture. Many times in my life I have had squash that was mushy, flavorless, and soggy. The latter two are quite fitting with squash as many kinds have very little natural flavoring and lend themselves well to versatility. Summer squash (i.e. zucchini and yellow squash) boast a high water content which can make them….soggy. Who knew, water makes things soggy? Summer squash are less nutrient dense than winter squash due to their higher water content. Winter squash, including my favorites butternut and spaghetti, is nutrient rich and serves as a great source of carotenes, B1, vitamin C, and fiber.

I digress; spaghetti squash is a little magical thing that can be prepared in a seemingly infinite number of preparations. I love experimenting with different applications and cuisine. My favorite so far is with pesto – shocker – and a sautéed medley of zucchini, spinach and tomato with a tad bit of lemon zest, shallot and garlic. This meal is a powerhouse for the busy week-day health, healthy eater. It is easy, cheap, waist-whittling, and NOM NOM NOM delicious. One cup of Spaghetti Squash amounts to a whopping 42 calories so go ahead and gorge. You can do anything you like to spaghetti squash. ANYTHING. You can hit it up with some meat sauce, though go light on the saucing as it is obviously not as sturdy as pasta. you can make any worldly variation you would like with different spices; you can keep it simple with lemon and pesto, you can add it to soups for a bit of low calorie, carb-like substance; you can even make it into dessert. I tend to have tomatoes that need to be used so I have gotten in the habit of having a roasted tomato with my spinach and squash. Sometimes I will throw in chicken if it needs to be used, but I never miss it if I do not (giving the meal yet another perk…it is vegan).

 Note: The recipe given below incorporates only Spinach, which I always have on hand. It is just as easy to add zucchini when you are preparing the spinach, if you have some on hand. Feel free =) Also, the photo was taken before I added pesto (I only wanted a touch of it being on a diet an all). I have stopped photographing my food for thirty minutes before eating given my time crunch the past four months and this was the only photo I had; normally, the squash is a bit more green. Final Note: ADD ROASTED GARLIC TO MAKE THIS MIND-BLOWING. I roast the garlic with the squash and add it in – you don’t have to, though I have no idea why you would not want to.

It has been a long journey from the PB and No J sandwich girl who turned her nose up at the wonderful squash family, but I am happy to announce my arrival.

Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Spinach and Tomato

Serves Four

One large spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
One recipe sautéed spinach
One baked tomato
Basil Pesto in an amount desired (I like about a quarter cup)
Salt and Pepper
Seasoning as desired (I used cayenne, thyme, pepper, salt, and Italian herbs)
One lemon, zested (I actually used two, but I really like lemon zest)

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare the squash (cut in half, scrape threads in center and rub inside flesh with olive oil). Sprinkle the amount of seasoning desired on the two halves and place meat-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for fifty-five minutes and remove.

Meanwhile, one stove prepare the sautéed spinach and reserve. If using previously baked tomatoes, skip making them and simply reheat when ready. If the tomato has not been previously baked, lightly drizzle with olive oil, top with salt, pepper and fresh herbs and bake for twenty to thirty minutes until tender.

Using oven mitts to hold the squash by its skin, scrape the squash into a bowl with a fork (it should break apart and look like angel hair pasta). Once this is done, strain excess water (some squash are worse than others so you may be able to skip this step).

Combine the squash with the pesto and zest, adding salt and pepper as desired. Mix well. Finally add the spinach and top with the baked tomato. Top with fresh grated pecorino (if you desire) and serve immediately.