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one 2-pound spaghetti squash
2 teaspoons soft butter 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped or 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed thyme 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, crushed 3 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided use salt and freshly ground pepper Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a toothpick or skewer, poke 6 or 8 holes in the squash. Put the squash in a medium baking pan and bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the squash feels soft when pressed.
Protect your hands with potholders when handling the squash. Remove from the baking pan and let sit until cool enough to handle. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and discard them. Butter a 1 1/2 -quart baking dish. In a small bowl, stir the milk, thyme, parsley and garlic together and set aside. Use a fork or spoon to scrape out the flesh of the cooked squash and put it in a large bowl. The flesh comes out in long strands. Stir milk mixture, 2 cups of the cheese and salt and freshly ground pepper into squash, mixing it well. Transfer squash mixture to the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake about 45 minutes, until it is bubbling and the cheese browns lightly. Let sit 5 minutes and serve. Serves 6. |