Recipe from The First Mess by Laura Wright
This is one of the recipes shared on our Slack Group by CSA member Rose, so it comes member tested & recommended!
1 Spaghetti Squash (about 2 to 3 lb)
1 TB Olive Oil, divided
Sea Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 TB Pine Nuts
1/3 cup Raw Cashew Butter
1/2 cup filtered Water
2 cloves of Garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
2 TB fresh Lemon Juice, divided
1/2 tsp Tamari
1 medium Shallot, small dice about 1/2 cup (If you don’t want to run out for Shallots, substitute onion from the share, just use a little less, maybe 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups cooked Chickpeas
Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place the halves face-up on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 1/2 tsp of the olive oil. Season the squash with salt and pepper and slide the sheet into the oven. Roast the squash until tender strands start to pull away, about 45 minutes. Remove the seeds from the squash and set aside. While the squash is roasting, toast the pine nuts in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once pine nuts are golden brown, remove and set aside. Make the arugula cream: In an upright blender combine cashew butter, water, garlic, lemon zest, 1 TB of lemon juice, Tamara, arugula, salt and pepper. Blend this mixture on high for about 45 seconds, or until totally smooth and fluid. Check the cream for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Transfer the cream to a sealable container and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Return the medium sauce pan with the remaining 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil to the stove over medium heat. Add shallots to the pan and cook, stirring often, until very soft, about 4 minutes. Add the chickpeas to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Once the chickpeas are warmed through, stir in the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice. To serve, place warm squash halves on plates and gently pull out some strands of “spaghetti” to make a pocket of sorts. Divide chickpea mixture between squash halves. Drizzle garlicky arugula cream over and garnish with toasted pine nuts and extra arugula. *If you want a nut-free version, I'd replace the cashew butter in the sauce with tahini and add maple syrup or other sweetener. You can also use any toasted seed instead.