Jarlsberg, almonds, and garlic combine to bring crunch and rich, nutty depth to this versatile, crowd-pleasing dish.
Ever wonder where food bloggers get their inspiration? Seven times out of ten, it’s from other food bloggers! (Totally made that statistic up, btw! But you get the point.)
Last fall I found a recipe for Garlic Spaghetti Squash with Herbs on one of my favorite food blogs, Pinch of Yum by Lindsay. It looked so uniquely tasty that I pinned it with the actual intention of trying to make it. (As opposed to pinning it even though I know I will never, ever make it myself.) (Oh, C’mon – don’t even try to tell me that I am the only one who pins things they know they will never make/do/need/have.) (i.e., Cupcakes… that I will never make. Tattoos… that I will never get.) But I digress…
Anyway, when I finally got around to putting it on the menu a few weeks ago, as I was throwing it together – after a very long day of teaching that followed a very short night of sleep – I realized that it called for a few things I didn’t have on hand; moreover, no way was I ponying up for pine nuts at the end of the month. So I made a few changes.
The results were amazing, and this one is definitely a keeper. Everyone in our family ate it – and liked it! (Unanimous appreciation of a new food = Tier I Miracle!) I love the almond and garlic combination and the rich crunch of texture that the nuts give to the dish. The Jarlesberg, with its inherent nutty flavor, only enhances the flavor profile. Overall, my reaction was a lot like Lindsay’s as she commented of her version – I literally could have eaten the whole plate!
I have now served this with every meal of the day, including breakfast. (It pairs very well with Eggs Provençal.) For an easy workday dinner, I like to top it off with a little stir-fried mixture of spicy Isernio Hot Italian Sausage, sliced mushrooms, and sweet onions. (Just mushrooms & onions for our vegetarian, of course!). Serve with a spinach salad and a light vinaigrette, and you’re set.
Garlic-Almond Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash halved and seeded
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped almonds toasted
- ¼ cup minced fresh basil
- ½ cup shredded Jarlesberg
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Prep the Squash
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Sprinkle squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes, or until tender.
- Allow cooked squash to cool for about 10 minutes, and then use a fork to scrape out the insides and separate strands.
Put it all together
- In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and almonds and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Stir in spaghetti squash and basil.
- Continue to sauté for about 2 more minutes, until almonds and garlic are distributed evenly and squash is heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe may get me to finally try spaghetti squash. I like squash, but wasn’t sure I could eat a whole one by myself, and I knew it wasn’t really spaghetti. LOL!
wow! yum! this looks delicious!
http://www.ladiesinnavy.com
I’m intrigued by the crunch of the almonds! Yum!
I love the texture the almonds bring to this dish!
Renee, I’m a huge fan of healthy recipes especially when they have simple ingredients. This looks great and I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for sharing, cheers!
Thank you! This immediately became one of our family favorites!
I can NEVER get the spaghetti squash to turn out! Any tips on getting it perfect? Mine is always mushy or too al dente!
I’ve found that 25-30 minutes at 375° for a small-medium squash works just about perfect for me. (Cook them cut-side down.) I always let them cool face down on the tray after I take them out of the oven, which steams them a bit longer and keeps the moisture in.
When I first started making spaghetti squash, I found that organically grown squashes seemed to cook more consistently with better results than non-organic. I know this is purely anecdotal evidence, but I’m always careful to buy organic squashes now.
Also, for this recipe, it is better to have the squash a little al dente because you are going to be stir-frying it a bit in the preparation.
I like the combo of flavors here! I’ve only made spaghetti squash a few times but it just hasn’t hit home with me, until I made them into blinis… but I’ll keep trying, and this dish looks like a good one to try for sure!
Love the phrase “tier 1 miracle!”
This looks delicious and healthy! I am a new fan of squash, but I haven’t had spaghetti squash lately. Thanks for sharing!
I have a love/hate relationship with squash, but this sounds too good not to try it.