Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas & Chard
Sadly, Cooking in the Creek has been neglected for the last month or so. With the holidays and Gabe and me moving to a new apartment, the blog and our cooking has been put on the back burner (haha). Not to worry, we only moved across the street to an even tinier kitchen in Walnut Creek. This particular post has actually been pending as a draft for awhile now, but I still wanted to get it out there and share it with everyone. Hopefully soon Cooking in the Creek will get rolling again with some new recipes in our new abode.
I always see recipes with spaghetti squash sautéed with fresh herbs and it seems so simple, light and fresh. I wanted to try that for dinner, but wanted to add a few ingredients to make it filling enough for a meal. Gabe and I went to the farmer’s market over the weekend and got a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies for the week. We got some fresh herbs (a mixed bunch of rosemary, sage and thyme), rainbow swiss chard and an assortment of other things. These were the perfect addition to the squash, giving it lots of fresh flavor and color. I added the chickpeas for a little added protein, lemon, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan for a pop of flavor. To my surprise, it all came together very nicely. If you are looking for a lighter faire, full of fresh flavors try this dish!
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Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas & Chard
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
1 rosemary sprig
3 thyme sprigs
1 sage sprig
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 rainbow swiss chard leaves chopped, stems diced
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes
salt & pepper, to taste
optional: a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut off the ends of the spaghetti squash. Slice your squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle. Place the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour or until the flesh is tender and you can scrape noodle-like strands with a fork.
Remove squash from the oven, let it cool slightly and use a fork to scrape the squash into strands. (set aside).
In a large deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter, then add the herbs (whole sprigs, so they can be easily removed later). After about a minute of infusing the oil/butter mixture, add the onion, garlic, chile flakes, salt and pepper.
Once the onion starts to soften, remove the herbs, add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes until they turn lightly golden brown. Next, add the chard (stems and leaves), lemon juice and zest, then give everything in the pan a good stir.
Once the chard is partially wilted, add the squash strands, a little grated cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and more salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to incorporate. Remove from heat and top with toasted extra grated cheese.