Spaghetti Squash Topped With Smoked Oyster And Watercress Ragout Food

SPAGHETTI (SQUASH)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F and cover a baking sheet with foil. Split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Season the squash with salt and pepper and place, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Roast the squash until very tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Turn the roasted squash over and shred each half with a fork, turning the flesh into what looks like a yellow boat filled with spaghetti. Drizzle the hot squash with a little extra-virgin olive oil and adjust the seasoning.
• Top with lots of your favorite sauce and garnish with shredded cheese. Serve each "boat" on a platter and eat the squash and sauce right from the skin of the squash.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH OYSTER-MUSHROOM-AND-PEARL-ONION RAGOUT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a fork, pierce the squash in several places and place it in a roasting pan. Bake for 40 minutes, turn and bake for an additional 15 to 30 minutes, until the squash is tender when pressed with a finger. Turn the oven off and leave the squash there until needed.
• Meanwhile, bring a small pot 2/3-filled with water to a boil. Cut a sliver off the root end of each of the onions and boil them for 1 minute. Drain and plunge them into a bowl of cold water. When cool, peel the onions and cut the larger ones in half.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, toss to coat and sprinkle with sugar. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the onions color, about 10 minutes. Add the parsnip, carrot, thyme and sage, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until the onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and return it to the heat. Add the garlic and the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Return the vegetables to the pan and add the diluted tomato paste and the soy sauce. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender, then add the stock and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
• Cut the cooked squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. With a fork, comb to separate the squash strands and toss them with butter and salt and pepper to taste, and lift out of the shell. Divide the squash among 4 dinner plates, spoon the vegetables around the squash, garnish with parsley and serve.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH TOPPED WITH SMOKED OYSTER AND WATERCRESS RAGOUT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the fibers and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, when the squash is nearly done, heat the reserved oyster oil and the olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the oysters and the watercress and stir until the watercress is wilted, about 1 minute. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
• Use a fork to scrape out the squash flesh in spaghettilike strands. Place in a bowl and gently toss with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Divide the squash among 4 plates, mounding it in the center. Spoon the ragout over the squash and serve immediately.