Rapid Creek Market: spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash appears at Rapid Creek Market throughout the Wet and Dry, but has periods of absence. It has a fairly long growing period and when it does re-appear at local stalls, it gets snapped up pretty quickly.
On its own terms, spaghetti squash is a pale, fibrous gourd with little fla-vour. But baked, seasoned and then raked with a fork, its stringy squash flesh turns into incredible golden spaghetti-like shreds.
It is a bit of novelty vegetable but unlike other fruits named for man-made foods, like chocolate pudding or peanut butter fruit, spaghetti squash really lives up to its name and its pleasing tangled texture means you can use it as an actual spaghetti substitute – without having to engage a novelty kitchen gadget like a spiraliser.
If you’re sticking to Darwin market produce, then use the fine young Asian eggplants, available all year round, for an Arrabiata-type sauce, or make a ratatouille with eggplant and okra. Buy it local from the mar-ket and give it a twirl!
Spaghetti Squash recipe:
one spaghetti squash
2 cloves garlic, crushed with the back of a knife
salt and pepper
olive oil
25g butter
Preheat your oven to 170-180 degrees. Use a solid, sharp knife to cut the squash lengthwise in two.
Scoop the seeds out then place squash cut-side up on a baking tray.
Drizzle the squash halves generously with oil, salt and pepper and place a garlic clove in the hollow of each.
Cover with a sheet of foil and bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden-brown.
Wait for the squash to cool a bit, then use a fork to easily scrape out the spaghetti-fied flesh into a bowl and stir in butter. Serve a tomato-based sauce over the spaghetti, with parsley and parmesan.
