Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Parsley Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To roast the squash:

• 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half the long way, seeds removed
• 1 Tb olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Rub the squash with the olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste. On a baking dish lined with foil, place the squash open halves down, pierce the tops several times with a fork, and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. As soon as the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred the flesh into spaghetti-like strands.

For the Lemon Parsley Sauce:

• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 c olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ cup very finely grated hard Italian cheese: Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago
• 1 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

In a large bowl, mash together the olive oil and the crushed garlic. I use a pestle to emulsify them, but a nice wooden spoon will work just fine. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, the salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add the cheese and the chili pepper flakes and mix well.

Toss with the spaghetti squash and the Italian parsley and serve. Very nice served with a tossed green salad.