Spaghetti Squash and Lemon Pesto Skillet

After cutting off the stem, halve spaghetti squash lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Rub a thin coat of olive oil on the exposed flesh and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn cut side down in a 9×13 inch or half sheet pan and add 1 tablespoon water to pan. Roast at 350ºF for 35 to 45 minutes, until the skin is tender to the touch. Turn squash face up in pan to cool.

While squash bakes and cools, prepare mushrooms and pesto. Heat medium cast iron or other oven safe skillet over medium on stovetop; add 1½ tablespoons olive oil and heat until shimmering and fluid. Add mushrooms and stir to coat in oil. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring only every 2 or 3 minutes, until tender and liquid has evaporated completely. Leave mushrooms in pan off heat.

To make pesto, combine herbs and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a ramekin or other small bowl. Stir in garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Place nuts in a sealed freezer bag, lay flat between 2 layers of dish towels, and use rolling pin or canned food item to smash nuts to a near powder. Because you’re crushing the nuts by hand, the mixture won’t be perfectly uniform–a few larger chunks add welcome texture. Add crushed nuts, Parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper to the herb mixture and stir to thoroughly combine, until it resembles a thin paste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Working in the pan used for roasting the squash, scrape “noodles” from spaghetti squash skins with a fork and discard skin. If time permits, place noodles in colander in sink and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes, or press with the back of a wooden spoon to speed the process. Noodles don’t need to be completely dry, but removing some moisture will make for better leftovers.

Add squash noodles and pesto to pan with mushrooms and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed (will depend on the seasoning in pesto). Serve warm as is, or top with grated mozzarella and broil a few minutes to brown cheese (be sure your pan is oven safe!). Be careful handling the hot skillet fresh from the oven.

Note: to make the recipe vegan, use a little nutritional yeast instead of parmesan in the pesto, or just omit the parmesan entirely, and don’t top with mozzarella at the end.