Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Basil

Recipe #100: http://www.steamykitchen.com/19385-microwave-spaghetti-squash-with-tomatoes-and-basil.html

I think I should rename this recipe as "Dinner so good you'll eat it for breakfast the next day, too". And I don't even like squash.

I think this might be the first time in conscious memory that I've chosen to eat spaghetti squash. As we know from my Apple Squash Soup post (Recipe #98), I tend to avoid squash. However, now that I have made two recipes of two different kinds of squash and loved them both, it's much more likely that squashy recipes will show up on the stove more often. The Meatatarian will not be as happy about this...

This recipe was SO easy to make. A few words to the wise: Stab the squash with gusto but CAUTION. That sucker rolls around very easily and the knife may slip. Also, I nuked mine on a plate so that any of the gooey juices that came out would not require me to clean the microwave. Did I mention I hate cleaning? Be sure to wear oven mitts or some kind of thermal hand protection to handle the squash once you've started nuking it because it'll be RIDICULOUSLY hot. I found that the trickiest parts of this recipe were trying to get the seeds out after cutting the cooked squash open, then trying to "toss with tongs" once the squash was in the pan. This was probably partially due to the fact that I only used 1 fork to scrape the squash out of the hulking skin.

Spaghetti squash - my new amore

I don't know what size of spaghetti squash I had - average, if I had to guess. I didn't have fresh basil so I used 2 enthusiastic squeezes of my squeeze tube basil instead. Our parmesan cheese was the regular Kraft kind and I did not add salt, just some grinds of pepper.

I was amazed at how "delicious and Italian" this recipe smelled before I even tasted it. Did I mention that Italian food is my second love after fresh fruit? I served it (to myself because he refused to try it) as a bed for the Chicken Cacciatore (recipe #101) in lieu of the spaghetti that it called for and the only difference was the texture - spaghetti squash is crunchier than pasta spaghetti. My mouth was in heaven from the combination of garlic, tomato and basil.