Recipe received from Bruce McLeod (longtime HPCA resident)
Here’s a recipe I received a few years ago from Bruce McLeod and his mom Irene. They brought it to a community potluck dinner, and it was so delicious I needed to know how to make it myself. Notes from the chef: I often prefer baking the squash in the oven as opposed to the microwave to prepare them for “scraping”. I also quite often substitute bacon for prosciutto as I do not always have prosciutto in the house.
Servings: 4 to 6
Prep and Cook Time: approximately 90 minutes, including 40 minutes of baking squash prior to scraping it out.
Kitchen Supplies Needed: long knife, 8 x 8-inch baking dish or pan, whisk or beaters, large mixing bowl, frying pan
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 to 2lb. spaghetti squash, cooked. See below.
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 oz (28 g) prosciutto, finely diced (can substitute ½ cup chopped and cooked bacon, or bacon bits)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (can substitute some half and half cream to lower the fat content)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (could substitute Asiago cheese)
Directions:
• With a sharp, sturdy knife, trim the stem end from the squash and split it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
• Lay the squash halves, cut side down, in a baking dish and add about ½ inch of water to the dish. Cook the spaghetti squash either in the oven or microwave. Oven: bake, covered in tin foil, at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Microwave: in a microwave-safe dish with the water in the bottom, cover with plastic wrap and heat on high for 10 minutes or more. It is cooked when you can push down on the skin slightly. When the squash is cooked (by whichever method), uncover it and let it cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a small frying pan, heat the oil and prosciutto (or bacon) over medium-low heat and cook until the prosciutto crisps slightly. Remove from heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, water, cream, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the cheese together.
• Scrape out the flesh of the squash. It will come out looking like spaghetti strings (hence the name). Discard the squash skins.
• Add to the mixing bowl, the prosciutto with the oil, as well as the spaghetti squash flesh and stir it all together.
• Spread the mixture out into an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until set but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
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