Spaghetti Squash with Pine Nuts, Sage, and Romano

I heard I could make a spaghetti squash in a crock pot.  I got a spaghetti squash for under a buck this week.  I have no oven.  I thought I would give it a try.  I crocked the whole squash in water all day.  How easy was that?  At the end of the day I  tossed the squash strands with yummier things - all in the same crock. I had leftover Italian cheeses and my friend grows sage in her garden, so free sage!  Pine nuts aren't cheap.  I got my 1/4 cup at Winco last week.  I measured out the exact amount. There are so few things in this recipe and everything else was cheap or free, I decided this was a "budget" meal. Excuse the fuzzy picture.  I had to borrow it from All Recipes. My camera was not available.  This shot looked virtually identical to how mine came out, especially when I took my reading glasses off to eat.

Winner Loser or Meh

If I ever make spaghetti squash again, the ONLY way I will ever do it is in a crock pot.  So.Much.Easier.  The texture and depth of flavor of the strands  So.Much.Better.  If you love spaghetti squash, you will love it even better made in crock.  The crock method yielded richly flavored dark textured strands. All the squash meat released instantly - all the way to the rind.  I had spaghetti squash once before.  Then, the strands were crunchy and I did not care for it.  Then, cutting the squash before cooking was a pain in the ...(well, you get it).  Now, no cutting until it comes out and it almost cuts itself. 

I love that this meal is made 100% in a crock.  The toppings were tasty, but the combined flavor profiles were not the best.  The sweetness of the squash needed some different flavors. If I make a spaghetti squash again, I may try something with feta, sun dried tomatoes, and pine nuts.

Recipe

I used my large oval for this.

Ingredients:

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 1 Tbl teaspoons butter or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped or 1 tsp  chopped garlic (I used Christopher's jarred)    
  
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 - or more cup fresh grated 3 cheese Italian blend (I used Romano, Parmesan & Asiago)
• salt and pepper to taste

Puncture squash several times with a fork.  Put squash in crock pot. Pour 1-2 cups water over the squash.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours.  Remove squash, empty water, dry crock while still warm, and return crock to heating base.  Turn heat to high. Add butter or oil and let sit in crock for a minute or two to melt butter or heat the oil.  Add garlic, pine nuts to crock.  Leave uncovered.  While this is cooking, slice squash in half and seed.  Stir ingredients in the crock now and then.  Shred out the strands of the squash.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Toss squash strands in crock with the butter, pine nuts, garlic and sage.  Turn off heat.  Remove crock.  Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  toss and serve.