Spaghetti Squash with Indian Spices

Toasted spices and a touch of chile perk up the flavor of this mild squash.

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  1 small (3 lb.) spaghetti squash
  
  


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  1 Tbs. vegetable oil
  
  


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  1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
  
  


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  3 Tbs. unsalted butter
  
  


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  1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  
  


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  2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  
  


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  2 tsp. chopped garlic
  
  


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  1 tsp. cumin seeds
  
  


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  1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  
  


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  1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato
  
  


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  1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
  
  


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  Kosher salt
  
  


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  1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  
  

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon. Set the squash halves cut side down on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, and bake until strands of flesh separate easily when raked with a fork, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Taste a few strands—they should be tender. If not, continue to bake. Set the squash halves aside until cool enough to handle. Use a fork to rake the cooked squash flesh into strands.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mustard seeds and cover. The seeds will start popping; cook until the popping subsides, about 1 minute. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the onion, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and coriander and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, chile, and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to soften and the chile is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash to the skillet. Continue to cook, tossing with tongs, until heated through, 1 to 3 minutes. Toss in the cilantro, season to taste with more salt, and serve.

Beef Ragù Over Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Bread

Here, spaghetti squash is used like pasta to delicious effect, and a quick garlic bread rounds out the meal.

• 
  
  1/4 baguette, halved lengthwise
  
  


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  1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
  
  


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  6 medium cloves garlic
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  1 small (2-1/2-lb.) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  
  


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  1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


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  1 lb. lean ground beef
  
  


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  1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  
  


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  One 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  
  


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  1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
  
  


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  1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  
  

Heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the bread cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush it with the butter. Peel and chop the garlic. Divide the garlic in half and sprinkle one-half with a generous pinch of salt. Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, mince and mash the garlic and salt together to form a smooth paste. Spread each piece of bread evenly with garlic paste and season with salt and pepper. Bake until light golden-brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Cut each piece in half to make 4 pieces total, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, arrange the spaghetti squash in a single layer in the bottom of a large, wide pot. (Don’t worry if the squash halves don’t lie completely flat in the pot.) Add 1/2 inch of water, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender enough to shred when raked with a fork but still somewhat crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle.

While the squash cooks, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, the remaining chopped garlic, onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; cook, stirring to break up the meat, until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and discard the fat if necessary. Add the tomatoes, basil, and 1/4 cup water; stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

With a fork, rake the squash flesh into strands, transfer to plates, and season to taste with salt. Ladle the beef ragù over the squash and garnish with the Parmigiano. Serve with the garlic bread.

Grill-Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Molasses and Butter

Spaghetti squash is a strange ingredient. In its whole form, it is the most perfect-looking yellow orb, kind of retiring in nature, especially when put next to some of the more unruly kids in the squash family. Even when it is cut in half, it offers no hint as to the provenance of its name. Not until the tender flesh is cooked and the halves are squeezed does the stringy, spaghetti-like texture show itself. Spaghetti squash is very tasty, but with a mild flavor; it lacks the potent sweetness of some other squash varieties. It is best to start it in the oven, then finish it on the grill to ensure that it cooks in the time you expect it to.

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  1 large spaghetti squash
  
  


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  2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  
  


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  Kosher salt
  
  


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  1-1/2 Tbs. molasses or maple syrup
  
  

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet with just enough water to cover the bottom. Transfer the squash carefully to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven equally carefully; the water should have evaporated, but you could splash yourself if any remains. Remove the squash from the sheet and allow it to cool at room temperature, cut sides up, until ready to use.

Just before serving, set the squash, cut side down, on the grill directly over the coals of a small wood-infused fire. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip, moving the squash to the coolest part of the grill. Add 1 Tbs. butter to each half, season to taste with salt, and drizzle on the molasses. Cover the grill and cook until the butter is melted, about another 2 minutes.

Take the squash off the grill and, using tongs, squeeze the squash halves to release the flesh. Use a fork to gently shred it and mix it with the butter. Serve immediately in the shells.