spaghetti squash with broccoli and leek

sometimes you want a nice pasta dish without having that heavy, starchy fullness it can leave you with.  that’s where spaghetti squash comes in.  it takes a little longer to cook than regular pasta, but it tastes and feels a lot lighter, can be prepared any way pasta is, and is a gluten-free, low-carb, low-calorie alternative.

i got this particular squash at the organic vegetable stand i work at, so i saw fit to toss in other veggies from the stand.  i sauted some leek and broccoli with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt, and tossed everything together.  it’s amazing how just a few ingredients can really come together to make a satisfying, hardy meal.  this recipe is a super simple dinner idea for 2-4 people.

spaghetti squash with broccoli and leek
1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
3 large crowns of broccoli
1 leek
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper

there are a few different ways to cook spaghetti squash. i’ve roasted it before, but felt like it didn’t cook completely. while i’ve heard you can microwave it, i don’t own one.  so i decided to go with boiling, which worked out quite well. the strands were tender and evenly cooked, very palatable.

to boil, simply bring about 8 cups of water with a dash of salt to a boil in a large pot. remove the stem and cut the squash in half. remove the seeds, which you can save to roast or plant later if you’d like. once the water is boiling drop the squash halves in and cover. cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the inside is tender and translucent.

meanwhile, slice up your leek and broccoli. i just used the florets of the broccoli and saved the stems to make vegetable broth.

heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. toss in the leek and saute for a minute, then add the broccoli and cook another minute. finally throw in the vinegar and salt and cook until the liquid reduces a little.  don’t overcook the broccoli, it should get bright green, but not wilty and brown.

once the squash is fully cooked the strands will come out easily with the light scrape of a fork. toss the cooked veggies with the spaghetti squash and serve immediately. top with fresh ground black pepper.

you could also serve the spaghetti squash with anything you would put on pasta, mushrooms, vegan meatballs, marinara sauce, garlic, you name it!

yields 4 servings