Spaghetti Squash al “Fresca”

h2Chef’s Note/h2
pPasta Fresca has long been one of my favorite dishes. It is quick easy and very flavorful. This version using spaghetti squash in place of pasta takes a bit longer but is still easy and even more flavorful than the original./p
h2Ingredients/h2
ul
li1 spaghetti squash (about 1 -1/2 lbs.)/li
liSalt and pepper to taste and your doctor’s recommendation/li
li2 medium very ripe tomatoes or ¾ cup drained diced tomatoes/li
li2 tbsp. olive oil/li
li1 shallot or 3 scallions/li
li1 clove of garlic (more if you like), grated or minced/li
li4 tbsp. parmesan cheese/li
li2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped/li
li3 tbsp. fresh basil leaves/li
/ul
h2Preparation/h2
ol
liPreheat oven to 350°/li
liCut squash in half lengthwise. I USE A CLEAVER AND HAMMER./li
/li
pScrape out the seeds and pith./li
liSprinkle with salt and pepper./li
liPlace cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with a release agent./li
liBake for 30 minutes./li
liLet cool for ½ hour./li
liUsing a fork, scrape the meat of the squash into a bowl./li
liCut the tomatoes in half. Gently squeeze out as much of the seeds as you can. Cut the tomatoes into wedges (about 12 per tomato)./li
liHeat the oil in a skillet./li
liAdd the shallot or scallion and cook until just wilted./li
liAdd the garlic and cook for 10-15 seconds, stirring to distribute the garlic evenly./li
liAdd the tomatoes and warm through./li
liAdd the fresh parsley and stir gently to combine./li
/ol
pstrongTwo methods/strong/p
ol
liCombine the tomato mixture with the spaghetti squash./li
liHeat through and top with cheese and shredded or julienned basil./li
/ol
pOr/p
ol
liToss the spaghetti squash with ½ of the tomato mixture. Place into an oven proof dish./li
liTop with remaining tomato mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese./li
liBake for 25-30 minutes until cheese has turned slightly brown and casserole is bubbly./li
liTop with shredded or julienned basil./li
pNote: I like the oven method better because you get a bit of a crust.
/ol
h2Nutrition/h2
pServes 6br /
Net carbohydrates: 7 grams per serving/p
pciteSource: a href="http://www.thedecadentdiabetic.com/"Ward Alper, the Decadent Diabetic/a/cite/p