Spaghetti Squash Pizza
Attention all low-carb and gluten free friends (or people that just love pizza, but realize they can't eat it every day): this will satisfy your pizza cravings and keep you in line with any New Year's resolutions you might have made. AND we're using that trusty InstantPot - i.e. the magical kitchen tool of sorcery.
Let's talk about pizza for a minute. Glorious, perfect, cheesy, greasy pizza. (Does that sound dirty to anyone else?) I love pizza like Oprah loves bread - don't even try to take it away from me. I was born in New York, I'm Italian. It's just in my blood. Sadly, I'm also getting older and my stomach lining wants to kill me every time I eat it. Cheese and gluten and I are not the best of friends, though clearly, I eat both of these things anyway (in moderation).
Over the summer, my husband and I realized that it wasn't a good idea, health-wise, to have Thai takeout four nights a week; we were tired, sluggish, and just didn't feel great overall, so we decided to try a low carb, high fat diet. We initially started cutting out all grains, refined sugar, and dairy, but it wasn't sustainable. A life without cheese just isn't worth it. And we started feeling amazing, but we also had to get creative with our meal planning, because protein and vegetables can get old really fast. And so spaghetti squash pizza was born.
Quick disclaimer: this is not a pizza that you can pick up and eat, but I swear it tastes like the real thing (and, like....it's good for you?).
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized spaghetti squash
- Spray oil (I use coconut oil spray)
- Seasoning for the crust (salt, pepper, herbs, etc.)
- 1-2 cups of tomato sauce (Quick recipe at the bottom!)
- 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- Pizza toppings (whatever you like, except pineapple, because that's disgusting)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Roast both spaghetti squash until tender. My preferred way of doing this is in the InstantPot, because it's fucking magic:
Pierce the skin of the squash several times with a pairing knife. Add 1 cup of water to the InstantPot, and place the steam rack inside, with the whole squash on top. Seal the lid, and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, letting the steam release naturally for 10 minutes after. Remove the spaghetti squash, cut it in half, and let it hang out on the counter for about ten minutes to cool off.
When both squash are cooked, scoop out the seeds and discard, and scoop out the rest of squash into a bowl. Season the squash with your preferred spices - I use a combination of Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg - and stir together.
Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with foil, and then parchment, letting the parchment come up all sides (really this is just for easy cleanup). Spray the parchment with the oil, and then press the squash onto the cookie sheet - almost like you're trying to fill the cookie sheet with pizza dough. When the squash is spread across the entire cookie sheet, lightly spray the top of the squash, and then roast it in the over for 30 minutes. This will help to start browning the squash, and also to remove some of the moisture.
When the squash is done, remove it from the oven to assemble the rest of your pizza.
First spread the cheese all over the squash - I like to have the cheese on the bottom layer, kind of like Chicago-style pizza, because it prevents the squash from getting too soft. In the photos below, I used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella, but I usually use parmesan instead of cheddar (trying to get rid of the last of the special holiday ingredients).
Then add the tomato sauce over the top of the cheese. I like to use just enough to spread evenly across the cheese. You could use sauce in a jar, I guess, but if I do that, my grandmother will come back from the dead and slap me, so I like to keep homemade sauce in containers in the freezer for days like today. (You can see my recipe for a quick marinara sauce below the photos.)
Finally, add whatever pizza toppings you like. I used ricotta cheese tonight (seriously, where is the lactaid?). Put the "pizza" back in the oven, and bake it for 15-20 minutes, or until it's golden and bubbling.
For serving, I let the pizza rest for about ten minutes, and then I cut it into squares. Depending on size, you can get 8-10 slices. Again, you can't pick these slices up, but I promise it will satisfy your pizza cravings and keep you in line with any resolution that has you eating better this year.
Quick Marinara:
Sauté half a diced onion and a few cloves of minced garlic in olive oil with salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes until translucent.
Add about half a tube of tomato paste and cook until it starts to stick to the pan. Add a cup of red wine to deglaze, and reduce by half.
Pour in a large can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are why pizza sauce tastes the way it does - trust me). Bring it to a boil, and then reduce to simmer. Taste and adjust the salt/pepper content as needed, and then simmer it for 30 minutes.
Finish with a handful of chopped basil and oregano.
