Spaghetti Squash "Pasta"

We finally got around to cooking the sole spaghetti squash we harvested a while back.

When we cut it in half, I was slightly disappointed not to see any noodly strands.

But once it was cooked through, the magic happened!

 Finished product looks just like pasta - albeit a bit shinier.

I'm glad those boxes of whole-wheat pasta cluttering up my pantry won't go bad. This is a wonderful, light but somehow meaty pasta substitute that goes really well with a basic tomato sauce. Even if our plant doesn't give us any more, I'll certainly be looking for these in the market. It was a light dinner for two, and could easily be a hearty meal for one.

• 1 spaghetti squash (ours was barely 8 oz.)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, minced (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 heaping tbsp.)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5-8 basil leaves, chopped
• Parmesan cheese to taste, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Halve and seed squash. Lightly grease a baking sheet with about 1 tbsp. olive oil and place the squash on it, cut side down. Place in oven and bake till a fork pierces the squash with nearly no resistance (30-45 minutes). When done, remove from oven and let cool till you can handle them.

Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onions till soft, about 3 min., then add garlic and saute till fragrant, another 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and let cook down till saucy, about 15-20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Scrape squash halves out into bowls (note the awesome noodly shapes and texture). Top with tomato mixture, add chopped basil and grated cheese, mix then serve.