Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter, Sage & Ricotta

I’ve been taking spaghetti squash for granted. Ignoring it in that same seeing-but-not-seeing way usually reserved for the crazies on the subway. And were it not for the otherwise uninspiring autumn selection at the farmer’s market last week, I probably would have continued to exist completely unaware of the magic that exists within that thick unassuming shell.

Who knew? Who would ever even suspect that inside the mottled yellow skin hides a thick nest of delicate, subtly flavored strands. Split and roasted in a shallow pan filled with an inch of water then scooped out and sautéed with a bit of brown butter and sage, this squash is beyond delicious. I topped it with fresh ricotta and a generous crack of black pepper, and ate it slowly sitting cross-legged on the couch while listening to Lykke Li and reading the chapter about Boeuf Bourguignon in Julie & Julia.

Nice, right? Don’t be scared to recreate this sweet little meal at home. There are all sorts of nasty rumors going around the Internet about spaghetti squash being difficult to deal with, but I’m telling you, they’re not true. Just split it, slide into the oven, and leave it. I assembled a bread pudding using old challah while I waited. Once the squash was roasted, I swapped it out for the pudding and went about scooping and sautéing. And, oh gosh, you should do this too because (I’m sure you’ll agree) there is nothing nicer than sitting down to dinner in a warm home that smells like baking cinnamon.

My one squash made two servings and I was just as full as if I’d eaten a big bowl of the *real* kind of spaghetti. I’ll have the rest for lunch tomorrow and may even pop down to the market to grab another squash or two for a repeat this weekend. Perhaps I’ll see you there, too?

****
New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 Spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup sage leaves, ripped
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons fresh ricotta (optional)

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and dry the squash, then use a sharp knife to split in half. Place both halves face down in a roasting pan filled with about an inch of water and cover with foil. Place in the oven and back for about 4o minutes or until a fork inserted in the skin of the squash pierces it easily. Flip the squash and cook uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.

Let cool.

Use a spoon to gently scoop out the seeds from the middle of the squash. Then use a fork to scrape the flesh of the squash away from the skin. It should pull off in thin strands. Transfer to a separate bowl and let cool.

In a medium-sized skillet, heat butter over medium heat and let cook until small solids start to form and the butter takes on a brown color and almost nutty scent. Drain quickly, reserving the clear brown butter.

Return to skillet and add torn sage. Let cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes before adding squash. Raise heat and sautee for a 2-3 minutes, being sure to coat the squash well with the butter sauce.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve in two ramekins topped with 1 tablespoon each of fresh ricotta.