Spaghetti Squash with Tomato, Olives, & Feta

After successfully conquering my first squash recipe with the acorn squash we got in our random produce crate, my next (& more difficult) task was to make the spaghetti squash.  My mom used to make it when I was growing up, but I have to be honest - I never once tried it.  I knew I didn't like squash so there was no point. (Yes, I still do have that belief about certain foods!)  Sean isn't a squash fan either so this spaghetti squash needed to be flavorful and delicious for him to eat it too.  I came up with something and we both ate it and enjoyed it, much to our surprise! 

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
olive oil, for roasting
1/2 large onion, diced
2-3 fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic
2 T fresh basil 
1 small can of sliced black olives
2 oz feta cheese

Directions:
Start by roasting the spaghetti squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut the squash in half, lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and pulp.  Drizzle it with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash face-side down on a baking sheet and roast it in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the inside of the squash is completely fork tender.  (It could be more or less time depending on the size of the squash) Here's what ours looked like after being roasted.

Let it cool off slightly before scraping the "noodles" out from the squash.  Meanwhile, begin the sauce.
Heat 1 T oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  When it is hot, add the onion and saute for several minutes until softened.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper in to bring out the flavor.  Then add garlic.  Cook for one more minute, and add tomatoes.  Continue cooking for 3-4 more minutes.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, you can scrape out the flesh with a fork, careful not to break the strands so they appear like noodles. 

Place the squash in a large bowl.  Add the tomato-onion mixture, olives (drained from the can), and fresh chopped basil.  Stir to combine.  Top with crumbled feta and enjoy.

*As a note, if you've never eaten this squash before, the texture is a bit crunchier than actual noodles.  But it has a relatively mild flavor so don't be intimidated like I was for so many years!  It's also a very healthy way to avoid carbs.