SIMPLE THAI PEANUT SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOATS

Simple Thai Peanut Spaghetti Squash Boats image

Thai-inspired peanut sauce tossed with spaghetti squash and topped with crunchy peanuts and cilantro. Top individual servings with tofu for the vegans/vegetarians or chicken for the carnivorously inclined.

Provided by Kare for Kitchen Treaty

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 small spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
1 batch simple peanut sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
Lime wedges
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 - 1/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (about 1 thumb-size piece)
1 medium clove garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 medium limes, depending on their juiciness)
2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce*
1/4 cup cooked cubed tofu
1/4 cup cooked cubed chicken (warmed if desired)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash outside of spaghetti squash. Cut off the stem end, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Brush insides with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Place face down on a baking sheet. Bake until fork-tender, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for just a couple of minutes.
Alternative: Cut in half, skip the oil/salt/pepper, and place face-down in a microwave-safe baking dish. Fill with about 1 inch of water and cook on high until tender, 10-12 minutes. Read lots more about cooking spaghetti squash both ways right here!
While the spaghetti squash cooks, make the peanut sauce and prepare the toppings. To make the peanut sauce, add the peanut butter, 1/4 cup warm water, ginger, garlic, lime juice, and Tamari to the pitcher of a blender. If you have a high-speed blender, you might not need to mince your ginger and garlic first - I don't need to with my Vitamix, it takes care of business! Add additional water, if needed, to keep the mix moving. Blend until completely pureed.
Using a fork, carefully scrape the still-hot spaghetti squash out of its shell into a medium-size bowl, taking care to not break the shell. Place the shells upright on your serving plates or platter.
Pour the peanut sauce over the warm spaghetti squash and toss until combined. Taste and add a couple extra pinches of salt if desired.
Divide peanut-sauce-spaghetti squash mixture between the shells. Top with peanuts, cilantros, and wedges of lime to squeeze over the top. In addition, you can top individual servings with tofu or chicken if you like.
Serve immediately.
Note that if you're not serving this right away, you may want to warm the peanut sauce on the stove so that it's piping hot before mixing it with the spaghetti squash. I find that as long as I mix the peanut sauce into the hot spaghetti squash and serve it at once, it's plenty warm for eating.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 boat (1/4 of recipe), Calories 275 kcal, Sugar 5 g, Sodium 985 mg, Fat 22 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Carbohydrate 14 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 10 g