Spaghetti Squash With Sun-dried Tomato’s And Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 small spaghetti squashes

(1 to 2 pounds each)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

¼ cup pine nuts

3 cups thinly sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

One 7-ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

2 cups baby spinach

½ cup torn fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

Directions

PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

ROAST THE SPAGHETTI SQUASH: Trim the ends of the spaghetti squash and halve it crosswise. Using a sharp spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from the center of each cavity and discard. Brush the inside of the halves all over with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Place the squash cut side down on the prepared sheet pan and roast until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

MEANWHILE, in a dry (no oil) large deep skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, tossing often until toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

Watch carefully so they don't burn. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

IN the same skillet used for the pine nuts, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and let them sear on one side, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 minutes.

WHEN the mushrooms are golden, reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes, and sauté, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm while you shred the squash.

WHEN the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to gently scrape out the strands so that they resemble spaghetti. Add the squash strands to the skillet along with the spinach and toss until the spinach is wilted and the squash is well combined with the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes.

Add the basil and lemon juice and toss to coat. Divide among four bowls and top with toasted pine nuts.