spaghetti squash with goat cheese and sage

Normally, I prefer to cook for both my husband and myself, or even more people. Cooking for one is less fun in a number of ways. You have to scale recipes substantially or have leftovers, one serving doesn’t use up a whole onion/pepper/package of whatever you’re using, and you have to eat alone. Lame!

But sometimes I’m excited for when my Veggie-Hating Husband is working in the evening, leaving me free to prepare some dishes that he hates, guilt-free.

Like spaghetti squash. He likes spaghetti, but refuses to eat spaghetti squash which, by the way, is delicious.

Especially when prepared comme ça — roasted and mixed with goat cheese. What can I say, goat cheese makes almost everything better. The “basic” method I have seen for this type of squash is just tossed with butter or oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. While that is also a great way to eat it, the goat cheese adds a little oomph, methinks.

Spaghetti Squash with Goat Cheese

Number of servings depends on size of squash and willingness of the cook to share

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1-2 ounces goat cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
(optional) 1 minced scallion

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375F. Slice squash in halfway lengthwise, scoop out seeds and stringy center with a spoon. Brush flat side with olive oil and place oiled-side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 40-60 minutes (depending on size or squash) until tender.

2.) Carefully use a fork to shred the hot squash. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When melted, add sage and stir until fragrant. Add shredded squash and stir to coat. Crumble in goat cheese a bit at a time, stirring after each addition. Add enough cheese to generously coat the squash.

3.) Remove from heat. Serve garnished with minced scallion or toasted pine nuts (or be fancy and use both!), salt if desired, and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.