Spaghetti Squash Aglio Olio

If you’ve read my blog for a few months, you probably know that I’m obsessed with the classic Italian dish, Spaghetti Aglio Olio. I use this flavor combination in so many things, and just recently I thought to do it with Spaghetti Squash. Duh!! How had I not thought of this before?

Anyway, I gave it a whirl, and it turned out phenomenal! This dish is somehow savory, light, spicy, and herbaceous all at the same time, and with minimal ingredients. Those Italians really know their stuff. And now it’s even healthier and gluten-free with the Spaghetti Squash!

Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
Cook your spaghetti squash the easiest way ever. Stab it several times with a sharp knife, all over the squash. This creates little vents, so you don’t have an exploding squash situation (the worst kind). Place the whole squash on a microwave-safe plate, and heat for 10-12 minutes in the microwave. If you have a really big squash, you might go up to 15 minutes.

Once the squash is cooked through and you’re able to cut through it without using a chainsaw (squashes are insanely hard to cut, am I right?), cut the squash lengthwise in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the gooey bits, and throw those away. Then, use a fork to scrape the sides of the squash, to get out those wonderful noodles. Scrape all the way down to the skin of the squash. Place these noodles in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes over medium heat in a deep sautee pan. Heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring, or until the garlic is fragrant. Definitely do not burn the garlic here. After those 1-2 minutes, drop in all of your spaghetti squash noodles and stir to coat in the olive oil and seasonings. Cook over medium, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes. Add in 2 tbsp of freshly grated parmesan, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve hot, and garnish with additional parsley and the remaining tbsp of parmesan cheese!

Note: the rolls in the background are Udi’s Gluten-Free Classic French Rolls, found in the frozen section. They are waaaay good!!