Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Winter tends to get all the comfort food recipes. It's probably because in general, comfort foods, require long and slow cooking - not so popular when your house feels like a hundred degrees. This recipe though takes a lighter spin on classic comfort food using spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Spaghetti squash can be bit of a pain because it takes a while to cook, and usually that means firing up the oven. In this recipe however, I've provided instructions for using the grill if you're kitchen doesn't happen to be air-conditioned. It's always nice to have options.  

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 large spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded
• 1/2 pound back bacon, cut into small strips crosswise
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle the bottom of a large, shallow baking dish with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoons pepper. Place the squash flesh side down in the pan and add enough water to come up about 1/4-inch. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the oven until the squash is just fork tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Shred the squash with a fork and transfer to a large heat proof bowl. OR try this method...
3. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, then let the squash marinate at room temperature for ½-1 hour long. Preheat grill to medium heat. Place the squash cut side up on the grill, cook for 20 minutes, and carefully flip over. The grill will most likely flame up from the olive oil so be careful! Cook for another 5 minutes or until the flesh easily pulls away from the skin with a fork.
4. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until it becomes a light brown but is not totally crispy. Pour off most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan, then add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 1 minute until the garlic and shallots are fragrant and begin to caramelize. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with the cheese and the parsley. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Combine the eggs with the bacon mixture, warming the eggs in the pan. (Do not let the eggs cook through.) Add the spaghetti squash and toss to thoroughly combine and until squash is heated through.
6. Adjust seasoning, if necessary and serve immediately.

To keep learning, join our mailing list for a weekly email including recipes, news from the farm, upcoming events, and more: