I’ve never had spaghetti squash up to now. I know, I know, I’ve been living under a rock. But, once I’ve finally had it, I’m so making it again because it’s wonderful and flavourful and also a fantastic way to ditch carbs in a meal. Not to mention, cheap and low maintenance, so you can just dump everything in the oven to bake and go about your business.

Oh, and in my initial batch I’ve made enough sauce for at least four meals, so I’m going to half the amount for you, since small squash would make two generous servings and this way you won’t end up with leftover sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields two generous servings / 0.91 EUR per serving / 1.83 EUR for all)

For the squash:

1 small spaghetti squash (0.93 EUR)

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (0.06 EUR)

1 tbsp olive oil (0.04 EUR)

Good pinch of salt (0.01 EUR)

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste (0.01 EUR)

For the sauce:

1 small onion (0.07 EUR)

1 small red bell pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 small chilli pepper (0.13 EUR)

1 large carrot (0.03 EUR)

¼ tsp salt (0.01 EUR)

2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.01 EUR)

2 tsp corn starch (0.01 EUR)

¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (0.01 EUR)

1 can diced tomatoes (0.47 EUR)

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (0.03 EUR)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line baking tray with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Halve the squash lengthwise using a sharp knife. With a spoon, remove seeds and squishy middle from the squash, place skin down on prepared baking tray and season the inside with sliced garlic, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until slightly charred and wrinkled. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes, so the skin can loosen up from the flesh. Using a fork separate the flesh from the skin into spaghetti.

Meanwhile, roughly chop onion, pepper, chilli and carrot. Mix the vegetables well with salt, paprika, corn starch and black pepper in a baking dish and place in the oven together with the squash. Bake for around 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. After 30 minute mark add diced tomatoes, stir once more and return to the oven for additional 10 minutes. Once done, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Serve spaghetti squash with a dollop of sauce on top.

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Do sada nisam nikad prije jela špageti tikvu. Znam, znam, živim pod kamenom. Ali, sada kada sam ju prvi puta probala, sigurna sam da ću ju raditi opet jer je divna i fina. A i super način da malo smanjim ugljikohidrate. Osim toga, jeftina je i skroz lagana za napraviti jer se sve može samo baciti u pečnicu dok se bavite nekim drugim stvarima.

Kada sam kuhala napravila sam dovoljno umaka za barem četiri porcije, pa ću ovdje za vas sve prepoloviti jer je mala tikva dovoljna za otprilike dva izdašna obroka.

SASTOJCI:

(Za dvije izdašne porcije / 7,22 kn po porciji / 14,45 kn za sve)

Za tikvu:

1 manja špageti tikva (7,00 kn)

3 češnja češnjaka, tanko narezana (0,50 kn)

1 žlica maslinovog ulja (0,33 kn)

Prstohvat soli (0,01 kn)

Svježeg mljevenog crnog papra po ukusu (0,05 kn)

Za umak:

1 mali luk (0,50 kn)

1 mala crvena paprika roga (0,75 kn)

1 čili papričica (1,00 kn)

1 velika mrkva (0,25 kn)

¼ žličice soli (0,01 kn)

2 žličice slatke crvene paprike (0,10 kn)

2 žličice kukuruznog škroba – Gussnel (0,10 kn)

¼ žličice cvježeg mljevenog crnog papra (0,10 kn)

1 konzerva sjeckanih rajčica (3,50 kn)

Pregršt svježeg peršina, sitno nasjeckanog (0,25 kn)

PRIPREMA:

Zagrijte pečnicu na 200°C. Obložite pleh za pečenje alumijskom folijom za lakše čišćenje. Oštrim nožem uzduž raspolovite tikvu i žlicom odstranite koštice i gnjeckavu sredinu. Položite kožom nadolje na pleh za pečenje, pa unutrašnjost tikve začinite sa narezanim češnjakom, maslinovim uljem, soli i mljevenim crnim paprom. Pecite 40-45 minuta, dok se ne počne loviti korica i tikva se malo ne smežura. Izvadite iz pečnice i ostavite da odstoji 20-tak minuta kako bi se koža otpustila od mesa. Vilicom odstranite meso od kože u špagete.

U međuvremenu, narežite luk, papriku, čili i mrkvu, dobro pomiješajte sa solju, paprikom, kukuruznim škrobom i crnim paprom u manjem protvanu i pecite skupa sa tikvom oko 30 minuta. Nakon 15-tak minuta sve jednom dobro promiješajte. Nakon što istekne 30 minuta, dodajte sjeckane rajčice i sve još jednom dobro promiješajte pa vratite u pećnicu na još 10 minuta. Kada je gotovo, posipajte svježim peršinom.

Špageti tikvu poslužite prelivenu sa umakom.