So far, my quarantine days
have mostly been spent working, working out, cooking, cleaning up from said
cooking, walking the dog, and finally, chatting with some friends and family on
various devices at the end of the day, rinse and repeat style. Since I am
cooking all of our meals while we are following the Stay Home, Stay Healthy
order, I am straying a bit from the heavy hitters in my regular meal rotation.
I mean after all, one can only consume so many roasted vegetables, salads, and
air-fried tofu.
I've only made spaghetti squash once before. I used the microwave.
The results were less than stellar and I have been hesitant to try it again
(for obvious reasons). Mush is the opposite textural outcome of basically any
good recipe. It was an epic fail.
Enter this Spaghetti Squash Aglio Olio with Kale and Lentils. I
discovered the recipe on Half Baked Harvest and adapted it based on the ingredients
that I had on hand, as well as what fits my vegan diet. Thanks to using an
actual oven to roast the squash, and of course in large part due to blogger
Tieghan's detailed directions, I was able to recreate my own version of this
dish. And, I'm happy to report, the texture was anything but mush.
Here's the recipe.
Spaghetti Squash Aglio Olio with Kale and Lentils
(Adapted from Half Baked Harvest)
Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash, sliced in half and deseeded
2 tablespoons olive oil + 1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups shredded kale
½ cup freshly chopped parsley
1 cup cooked green lentils
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and
place the two spaghetti squash halves on the foil, cut side up. Drizzle with 2
tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the spaghetti squash for 45 minutes, or until spaghetti
strands can be easily created by drawing a fork across the surface of the
cooked squash.
While the squash is roasting, cook the lentils according to the
package directions. Drain and set aside.
When the squash is done, scrape spaghetti strands and turn with
the fork in the bowl of the squash to soak up some of the olive oil and cooking
liquid that accumulates there while roasting.
In a large frying pan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic,
red pepper flakes, and a little more salt and pepper. Sauté on low to medium
for a few minutes until the garlic is cooked through but not burned. Then, add
the kale and sauté a few minutes longer until gently wilted. Add in the
lentils, parsley, lemon juice, and spaghetti squash "noodles". Turn
off the heat and toss the "spaghetti" until the ingredients are well
incorporated.
Serve in pasta bowls and top with a bit of freshly chopped parsley
or an extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
