Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Kale #12WksWinterSquash

With a house full of people who have been under the weather for the last few weeks, I fell off the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash bandwagon. But fear not! I made sure to get out of the house right before a snowstorm came through town, and picked up several different types of squash to work with for the next few weeks.

This spaghetti squash recipe is just beautiful! I adapted the recipe below, since I added a few things because I misread the recipe to boost the flavor. The squash was creamy and delicious, and the sautéed kale on top was beautiful with it. I really liked the tang that the balsamic added. I didn't notice much heat at all from the red pepper flakes and chili powder, but the flavor was very nice, so I wouldn't leave them out. If you're looking for more of a kick, add more of these for sure.

A few notes - the bunches of kale where I shop must be gigantic, because I only used part of one (enough to fill the skillet with a nice, big, heaping pile) and it was plenty. I didn't have any extra squash leftover.

Also - if you follow the link to Ree's recipe below, she shows you how to make this dish, step-by-step. I noticed that she was scraping the "spaghetti" out of the squash in the opposite direction that I usually do, and it makes it much more spaghetti-like. I always thought you were supposed to scrape down the length of the squash, but that tends to make it flake apart and get kind of mushy. Scraping across in the other direction yields nice, long strands of carb free "pasta". Beautiful!

Check out the roundup below for more delicious winter squash recipes. And, as always, if you've made something with winter squash this week, feel free to add it to the group! 10 weeks down - only 2 more to go! Too bad winter won't be gone after only 2 more weeks. I'm over this frigid weather already 😉

Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Kale
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4-8, depending on the size of your squash

1 whole Spaghetti Squash
Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper
2 bunches Kale, Stalks Removed And Torn Into Pieces
½ whole Onion, Diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a sharp knife, VERY CAREFULLY cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. (Stick the knife into the center of the squash, then cut down. Again---be careful!) Scoop out the seeds and pulp in the center and discard. Place the squash, cut side up, on a large baking sheet. Rub a little olive oil over the cut surface, then place the pan in the oven for 1 hour or until a fork is easily inserted into the squash.

While the squash is cooking, saute the kale: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to turn color. Throw in the kale, sprinkle in some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, and stir to sauté until the onions are golden about the kale is partly cooked, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the squash is cooked, use a fork to scrape the stringy squash out of the shell. Add the squash to a bowl. Mix together 1 tablespoon olive oil with the balsamic vinegar. Drizzle it over the squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add the chili powder. Toss to combine.

Add the squash to individual bowls, then top with a good amount of sautéed kale. You will have squash left over! (Or, you can toss all the kale and half the squash together.)

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars