Roasted Spaghetti Squash the Right Way

A week of ordinary life, which after a year of pandemic is extraordinary. Three shifts at the ER. Santos Station on Tuesday (adobo, as always). Blog post on Thursday (about cooking for pregnant family members — the specific, targeted cooking that happens when a Santos woman is expecting, the pregnancy diet that Lourdes prescribes from memory, the foods that "build blood" and "strengthen bones" and are, according to Lourdes, non-negotiable). Saturday at the Mountain View house.

Lourdes is in full grandmother preparation mode. Angela's pregnancy has activated a protocol that has been dormant since 1997 when Joseph was born — the Lourdes Santos Prenatal Program, which involves dietary instructions (more iron, more calcium, no cold foods because cold foods confuse the baby's temperature), cooking schedules (specific dishes for each trimester, calibrated to the baby's developmental needs as understood by Filipino folk medicine), and knitting (a blanket, yellow, because Lourdes doesn't believe in gendered colors for unborn babies, a progressiveness that surprises everyone who doesn't know that Lourdes Santos contains multitudes).

I helped with the knitting — meaning I held the yarn while Lourdes knitted, because my knitting skills are nonexistent and Lourdes has tried to teach me three times and given up three times, each time declaring that my hands are "nurse hands, not knitting hands," which is both an insult and a compliment.

I made ginataang kalabasa for Angela — squash in coconut milk, the gentle, nourishing dish that Lourdes prescribes for the first trimester because the coconut milk "coats the stomach" and the squash "feeds the bones." The science is approximate. The love is precise.

Lourdes’s ginataang kalabasa starts with good squash — soft, sweet, cooperative squash that doesn’t fight you when you’re tired after a week of ER shifts and yarn-holding and trying to remember which trimester gets which dish. Roasting the squash first, the way I’ve come to do it, draws out the sweetness before the coconut milk ever enters the picture, and if Lourdes notices I’ve added a step she didn’t prescribe, she hasn’t said so yet. This is the squash that went to Angela on Saturday. This is the one Lourdes approved.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lb), halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fish sauce (or soy sauce for a milder flavor)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prep the squash. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast until tender. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until the squash yields easily when pressed and the edges are lightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Shred the squash. Using a fork, scrape the flesh into long spaghetti-like strands and transfer to a wide, shallow serving bowl or a large skillet. Discard the skins.
Make the coconut sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk, garlic, ground ginger, and fish sauce. Stir and bring just to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Combine and serve. Pour the warm coconut milk sauce over the shredded squash and toss gently to coat. Scatter green onions over the top. Serve warm, in generous bowls.

Nutrition (per serving)

Roasted Spaghetti Squash the Right Way — The Kalabasa That Coats the Stomach and Feeds the Bones