Spaghetti Squash “Pasta” with Pesto & Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 450 F.

Pierce the squash all over with a sharp knife and put it into a microwave safe dish. Cook it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften it. Carefully remove it from the microwave and allow it to cool slightly.

Use a very sharp, large kitchen knife to cut the squash in half, vertically. Scoop out the seeds and discard them (or clean them and toast them for a snack).

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the cut side of the squash. Rub it over the smooth cut portion of the squash, and into the well of the squash too.

Put the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet, put it into the preheated oven and cook for 40-50 minutes.

As the squash is cooking, prepare your pesto.

Add the basil leaves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and pine nuts to a food processor. Pulse until the pesto begins to come together. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture and pulse again until it is well blended (the pesto won’t be completely smooth). Set the pesto aside.

When the squash has finished cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool to the touch.

Add the tomatoes into a shallow baking dish and drizzle them with olive oil. Put the dish into the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until they begin to blister and open. Remove them from the oven and keep them warm.

When the squash is cool to the touch, stand up each half vertically, and use a fork to scrape out the insides in a downward motion. The flesh will fall out like strands of spaghetti. You may need to warm the “pasta” in the microwave on a platter for a few minutes prior to serving.

Serve “pasta” on individual plates, topped with the pesto and roasted tomatoes.