Hi Y’all! Since finishing my 3 day detox, I have really been paying much more attention to what I am putting in my body. I have still been avoiding the gluten and dairy for the most part, and just trying to eat clean food with really simple ingredients.
I have a pot on my front patio that is just overflowing with mint and basil right now. The mint is starting to bolt, and I figure the basil is not too far behind, so I wanted to make good use of it while I can. I would typically just throw it on a pizza like this one, or toss it with some whole wheat pasta. To avoid all of that wheat, I decided to try it with spaghetti squash.
I have to be honest, in the past I have tried a few spaghetti squash recipes, but none have really been worth repeating. I think I finally found a keeper with this one though. The secret is in the sauce. Mainly it is the preparation that makes it stand out from your average pesto. I crushed the basil up with some coarse sea salt in my mortar and pestle, and just finished it off with a few cloves of garlic, a squirt of lemon, and a couple of heaping tablespoons of olive oil. I don’t know what it is about the mortar and pestle that makes the pesto taste so much better, but since I tried it, I have never gone back to my old method of using a food processor.
This makes a really filling lunch for two, or it would be lovely as a side for a big dinner.
Ingredients:
- one medium spaghetti squash
- 2 big handfuls of fresh basil (about 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- coarse sea salt (Celtic or Himalayan)
- Slice of lemon
Pre-heat your oven to 400°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle on about a tablespoon of olive oil and dust with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.
While the squash is cooking it is time to prepare your pesto.
Put the basil and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt into the mortar. crush it up just enough to make room for the rest of the ingredients.
Add the garlic, a couple of heaping tablespoons of olive oil, and a squirt of lemon. Continue to mash it up until it is a nice consistency like this:
Once the squash is a nice golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Then run a fork lengthwise across the flesh making “spaghetti”
Divide the pesto between the two halves and toss to coat.
Enjoy!
XX-Jenny
Similar but Different:
Since my brother found out he was gluten free, spaghetti squash has become a favorite in our house! I love stuffing it with pizza sauce, a little mozz cheese, and our favorite pizza toppings 🙂
Spaghetti squash pizza boats sound really good. Thanks for the idea!