Spaghetti Squash With Sage And Walnuts

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 lbs spaghetti squash
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 15 fresh sage leaves, divided
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon parmigiano-reggiano cheese or 1 tablespoon pecorino cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• 2 cut squash in half lengthwise and deseed.
• 3 place the squash halves on a roasting rack and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• 4 place 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 sage leaves in the hollowed-out core of each half.
• 5 bake the squash on a tray on the oven's middle rack until the flesh is just soft--about 1 hour (or longer-it all depends on your oven).
• 6 remove the squash and let it cool until you can work with the flesh comfortably, about 15 minutes.
• 7 using a fork, scrape the meat of the squash away from the skin, so that you get fluffy spaghetti-like strands. reserve these and discard the skins. the squash will hold at this point up to a day ahead of time, in an air-tight container in the fridge.
• 8 heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• 9 when the butter has melted, add the walnuts.
• 10 toast the nuts and allow the butter to bubble, about 1 minute.
• 11 add the rest of the sage leaves.
• 12 when the leaves release their aroma and begin to crackle in the pan (about 1 minute), add the squash and stir to coat it with the flavored butter.
• 13 cook for 2 minutes over medium heat until the squash is warm, stirring frequently so the flavors get inside the squash.
• 14 season the rest of the salt and pepper.
• 15 serve on a large plate or platter, topped with the cheese.