Warm Spaghetti Squash Dinner with Creamy Avocado Sauce
by Amie Valpone
I’ve always seen spaghetti squash in the produce section of the food stores this time of the year but I’ve been so intimidated by how to cook it and how to slice it in half because it’s quite large. Since I’m doing my best to go out of my comfort zone these days, I bought spaghetti squash last week and decided I was going to give it a go. Turns out, I’ve made this recipe two times since then because it was that good. It not only serves as a delicious (and cozy) dinner for chilly winter nights but it also doubles as an easy lunch the next day.
It’s that time of the year when we’re busy planning holiday menus, shopping for gifts and making holiday plans along with trying to attend holiday parties and so forth. Who’s got time to cook? Probably not you, right? I thought so.
Well, this spaghetti squash is something that can be prepped and roasted on a Sunday night when you’re relaxing and getting ready for the week ahead. Then, all you need to do is store the cooked squash flesh in the refrigerator and heat it up on the stovetop before you toss everything together the following night for dinner.
I receive a lot of questions from readers and my clients who are trying to find dinner ideas that are quick and healthy but also filling. Well, let’s just say this recipe checks all those boxes.
Let’s talk about how to make this easy dinner, shall we?
You’re going to start by roasting the spaghetti squash. Then, you’ll be scooping out the stringy flesh of the squash after its nice and warm right out of the oven. The rest of this dinner is quite simple. All you need to do is toss the remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl with the spaghetti squash and make your way over to your blender to puree the creamy avocado sauce, which will be drizzled on top of everything. Putting this meal together takes about 10 minutes after you roast the squash, which is why I suggested pre-roasting the squash the night before if you’re in a time crunch on a weeknight to get dinner on the table!
The creamy avocado sauce that you’ll be using to make this meal even heartier is incredibly versatile and can be served all year round as a dipping sauce with roasted vegetables, on top of salads and even served alongside crackers like my grain-free seed crackers that are great for an appetizer.
No matter how you serve this sauce, it’s a winner, for sure and I have a feeling you’ll be just like me…making this cozy winter recipe a few times a week because, well, it’s that good!
Warm Spaghetti Squash Dinner with Creamy Avocado Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash Dinner
1 large spaghetti squash
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced red onion
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
1 Kirby cucumber, diced
2 Tbsp. macadamia nuts (or any nut you have on hand)
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Creamy Avocado Sauce
Makes ½ cup
1 large very ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. water, plus more if needed
Juice of 1 lime
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Directions
For the Spaghetti Squash
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Carefully slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Insert the tip of the knife into the side of the squash and push it through to the other side if you’re having trouble slicing through the squash.
Scrape out the seeds and the stringy sections of the flesh.
Use a brush to coat the inside of both halves of the squash with the oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until the squash is tender and soft when you insert a knife into the flesh. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.
When the squash is col, use a fork to scrape out the strings and place them in a large bowl. Add the onion, tomato, cucumber, macadamia nuts and fresh tarragon. Drizzle the creamy avocado sauce on top (recipe below) and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Serve warm.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the Creamy Avocado Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until creamy. Add more water for a thinner consistency. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
