Greek Spaghetti Squash is the next recipe I made as I was working on eating the rest of the winter squash I bought back in October. I lost one squash to rot, which made me quite sad (and surprised me – our garage is quite cold, so I’m not sure what happened). I love spaghetti squash as an alternative to pasta. It’s easy to cook and great with all the traditional sauces that go well with spaghetti. I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic lately about a restaurant we used to go to quite a bit when we lived in Southern Oregon called Alexander’s. Alexander’s is a Greek restaurant that serves the most yummy hummus and falafel but they also have a pasta dish on their menu called Athenian Pasta, which is a mix of spaghetti, a creamy Alfredo style sauce, feta cheese, and garlic. I’m salivating a little just writing about it. I absolutely loved having this pasta for dinner the various times we’d go there, particularly in the winter. It was totally a comfort food.
So – I had a spaghetti squash in the garage and some feta cheese in the fridge, so thought, why not try to replicate Alexander’s Athenian Pasta? As it turns out, this version of Greek Spaghetti Squash is as yummy as the traditional pasta version, minus the carbs of the pasta. I tossed in a little bit of rosemary just because. I really liked the slight pine taste the rosemary imparts – it’s a great counterpart to the salty feta cheese.
This is another squash dish that survives a few weeks in the freezer without any problems. The cream sauce can get a little grainy – but give it a few stirs and it tastes just fine. This dish pairs well with a nice crisp green salad. If you aren’t too worried about the carbs, it would be great with a little fresh bread as well. And if you are eating this and not at work, it would be lovely to serve with a Greek Retsina.
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk or half and half
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary (optional)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese plus 3 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the stem from the spaghetti squash. Make a few small slits in the squash with a knife. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until the squash is soft. Cut in half and let cool.
- When the squash is cool, remove the seeds. Gently scrape out the flesh of the squash - it will come out in small strands that resemble pasta.
- Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan or frying pan. Saute the garlic for about a minute and then add the spaghetti squash, cooking for two minutes. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour, a bit at a time and whisk with each addition. When all the flour is incorporated, add in the milk or half and half, the rosemary, and the ground pepper. Bring to a low boil and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of feta cheese.
- Add the spaghetti squash and garlic to the sauce and combine. Distribute to three or four bowls and sprinkle the remaining feta cheese over each dish. Enjoy!
