Sesame spaghetti squash and soba salad
This lively noodle salad is given autumnal earthiness thanks to the addition of spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash are magical and a lot of fun to cook. I love scraping the hot, tender flesh, seeing it fall away into stringy, juicy strands. Here, I’ve played on their noodle-like form by adding them to a soba noodle salad, finished with a punchy ginger-spiked sesame dressing.
This dish leans heavily into the rich nuttiness of sesame, utilizing three sesame ingredients to build layers of flavor: the dressing has both tahini and sesame oil, and sesame seeds are added for texture.Â
The quirkiness of spaghetti squash is tempered by its very mild, slightly bland, flavour. Hence, it benefits from heavy and enthusiastic seasoning, and thrives with a dynamic sauce. I love it with a satay style sauce. It’s also good with curry, spice, and tangy tomato sauces.Â
It is tempting to use spaghetti squash as you would noodles or long pasta strands. While I see the low-calorie benefits of this, taste-wise, I think they are too bland and watery to carry a dish with conviction (I think the same of zucchini ‘noodles’). But adding them to actual noodles or pasta not only compliments to their stringy shape, but delivers the heft needed for a dish to feel satisfying. Â
Sesame spaghetti squash and soba salad
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash (about 2.2 pounds to 2.75 pounds / 1kg to 1.25kg)
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 225 g soba noodles (I used Soba rice noodles)
- 225 g baked tofu, sliced
- 150 g spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (white, black or combination)
- 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
Sesame ginger dressing
- 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 60 g tahini
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ËšF / 200ËšC.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (through the stalk). Drizzle the cut side with a little olive oil and season with a little sea salt and black pepper. Turn the squash over and place it cut side down onto a sheet pan, and poke a few holes into the skin using a fork (this allows for even cooking). Bake until the flesh is tender - test by pressing the skin to see if feels soft - about 30-40 minutes (it is okay if it is still a bit firm; the time will vary depending on the size of your squash).
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions, until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain again.
- In a large bowl, make the dressing by combining the ginger, garlic, maple syrup, rice vinegar, tahini, and sesame oil. Add 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of black pepper and whisk to combine.
- When the spaghetti squash is ready, flip them over so that the cut side is facing up and using a fork, scrape the flesh to loosen the strands. Season the spaghetti squash with sea salt and black pepper.
- Add the noodles to the dressing, along with the spaghetti squash, tofu, and spinach. Using tongs, toss to mix, making special effort to break up any clumps of squash strands. Add the sesame seeds, half of the scallions, half of the cilantro, taste and season well with sea salt and black pepper, and toss again.
- To serve, top with remaining scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately at room temperature.
