Mexican-Spiced Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash (4 pounds, give or take )
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • 1 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 fresh jalapeno (size depends on your taste for heat), seeded and minced
  • 1 t cumin seeds
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, juices drained off 
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cilantro, chopped, optional
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Halve the squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds.  Place halves cut-side down on a sturdy rimmed baking pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until flesh easily rakes into "spaghetti" with a fork.  Set aside.

2. In a saute pan with a cover, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Toss the mustard seeds in and cover the pan.  Listen to the seeds pop and cook until popping stops, about a minute.

3. Set the lid aside and reduce heat to medium-low.  Melt the butter in the pan and stir in the onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin seeds.  Season with salt (I like about a teaspoon of Kosher) and pepper to taste.  Cook until onion is soft, 3-5 minutes.  Pour in the tomatoes and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes.

4. Use a fork to scrape the flesh of the squash from its skin, raking apart the strands.  Add the spaghetti squash to the saute pan and increase the heat to medium-high.  Use tongs to evenly mix everything together and heat through, about 2 minutes. 

5.  Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and taste for  more salt or pepper.