Nutty Spaghetti Squash with Gorgonzola is my new favorite way to enjoy spaghetti squash. Nutty from browned butter and toasted hazelnuts, savory from lots of garlic and crumbled gorgonzola, and flecked with sweetness from diced tomato and wilted spinach - this recipe hits all the right notes of flavor and texture.
This recipe is inspired by a dish known as “High Pasta” from a local collection of restaurants and breweries in the Pacific Northwest known as McMenamins. I haven’t seen High Pasta on a McMenamins menu in years, but growing up, this was in regular rotation. It was my favorite dish to order any time we visited McMenamins. I always gravitated toward vegetarian dishes when dining out, as far back as I can remember. Dishes like this helped broaden my palate beyond simple spaghetti-with-butter-and-parmesan preferences of childhood. This is not an exact replication of High Pasta, because the original was made with actual pasta, but it’s pretty darn close.
Nutty Spaghetti Squash with Gorgonzola is the perfect early autumn, meat-free meal. It’s the very end of fresh tomato season, and the start of winter squash season. With additions like browned butter, hazelnuts, and gorgonzola, this recipe feels cozy and comforting, but the spaghetti squash helps keep it light, yet satisfying. I’m not advocating for replacing pasta with spaghetti squash, though - believe me, this recipe is equally as delicious when using real spaghetti pasta, and spaghetti squash is a vegetable, not pasta. Spaghetti squash is a delicious and fun way to incorporate vegetables into your meals, and diversity of vegetables and fruits is a solid way to promote healthful eating.
Nutty from browned butter and toasted hazelnuts, savory from lots of garlic and crumbled gorgonzola, and flecked with sweetness from diced tomato and wilted spinach - this recipe hits all the right notes of flavor and texture.
1 large spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 oz. baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Notes:
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