Spaghetti squash with spinach, tomatoes and feta

A super delicious vegetarian meal!

On a whim, I cooked a spaghetti squash in the air fryer a little while ago and I have to tell you, it’s a fantastic way to prepare it. Not only does it cook more quickly, but the flesh ends up appealingly drier and we found the few little crispy bits added great flavour and texture to the squash ‘noodles’ once removed from the skin. I’ve included oven-baking instructions if you don’t have an air fryer. Note that you can cook the squash ahead of time, if you prefer, as you’ll be reheating it in the pan before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 small (4 lb / 1.8 kg) spaghetti squash
• 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 mL) olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup (25 g) minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) finely minced garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons (5.2 g) all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
• 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable broth or water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups (400 g) coarsely chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup (50 g) crumbled feta, to garnish

Method

• Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Lightly oil the inside of the prepared squash with a bit of the olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place, cut sides up, in an air fryer and cook at 375F for 30-40 minutes, until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Cooking time will vary depending upon the size of squash. Remove and let cool slightly then use your fingers or a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands of squash flesh. Discard rinds and set ‘noodles’ aside.
• Alternatively, squash can be placed in a baking dish to which 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water has been added and baked in a conventional oven at 375F for 50-60 minutes, until tender.
• After squash is cooked, heat 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of olive oil over medium-low heat in a skillet large enough to hold the chopped vegetables and squash noodles, Sauté shallot and garlic, stirring often, for 3 minutes then sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Increase heat to medium then slowly add the vegetable stock or water, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce has formed. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.
• Add tomatoes to sauce and stir to combine. Cover skillet and cook until tomatoes are tender (about 4-5 minutes).
• Add spaghetti squash ‘noodles’ to skillet and reheat, tossing often with tongs to coat evenly with sauce. When squash feels warm to the touch, stir in spinach leaves and cover skillet. Check after 2 minutes to see if spinach has wilted; if not, toss with tongs and replace lid for 1-2 minutes more.
• Transfer squash mixture and sauce to two broad bowls. Garnish with feta and serve hot.

Serves 2-3 (depending upon size of squash).