Spaghetti Squash Peanut Noodles
Try this Spaghetti Squash Peanut Noodles recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Spaghetti Squash Peanut Noodles recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- salt (to taste)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- olive oil (as needed)
- 1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro leaves chopped)
- 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
- 14.5 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- 2/3 cup natural (unsweetened peanut butter)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari to make gluten-free or fish sau
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- Carbohydrate 0.61057499876124 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.64500499970581 g
- Fiber 0.34860000730361 g
- Protein 0.132929999730306 g
- Saturated Fat 0.662488499952346 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -5 serving (126g)
- Sodium 582.508499999393 mg
- Sugar 0.26197499145763 g
- Trans Fat 0.234382499926186 g
- Calories 43 calories
Step-by-step
- With a small sharp knife cut the spaghetti squash in half widthwise. Use a spoon or small knife to remove the seeds.
- Pour 1 cup of water into your Instant Pot. Add a trivet and place the 2 spaghetti squash halves on the trivet. Orientation doesn't matter too much, but I always do cut side up.
- Close the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select the 'Manual' setting and adjust to 10 minutes.
- Once the pressure cook cycle has finished, turn the valve to venting to quick release the pressure.
- Open the lid and pour out any liquid that may have collected inside the spaghetti squash halves. Test a few strands for doneness. You can always add a few more minutes for softer texture.
- Let the squash cool until comfortable to handle. Use a fork to loosen and scrape out the spaghetti squash noodles.
- Place all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then turn down to low and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce, while stirring almost constantly.
- Take off heat once thickened.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped parsley and 1/4 cup of the peanut sauce pan and combine. Add spaghetti squash and crushed peanuts, stir to combine and cook until heated through (about 2 minutes).
- Plate and garnish with a little more crushed peanuts and chopped parsley. Optionally, serve with veggies of choice. I used bean sprouts, sliced bell pepper and carrots. Drizzle with more peanut sauce as desired.
Using an Instant Pot requires precision. Ten minutes at high pressure cooks a medium squash, but trapped moisture ruins the final texture. Turn the valve to venting immediately after the cycle finishes. Invert the halves over the sink immediately. Drain every drop of accumulated liquid before touching the flesh with a fork. Without this purging step, the strands steam instead of separating into distinct threads.
The Chemistry of the Reduction
Simmering coconut milk, coconut sugar, peanut butter, and red curry paste for five minutes drives off excess water. Natural starches in the peanut butter gelatinize as the liquid volume decreases. This thermal reaction thickens the emulsion without requiring cornstarch. Stir constantly during this phase because high fat content burns quickly on the bottom of a saucepan.Finishing the Dish
High heat in the skillet is unnecessary. Toss the extracted squash strands with minced garlic, herbs, and a quarter cup of the reduced sauce for precisely two minutes. Overheating the squash releases secondary water reservoirs locked inside the vegetable cells, thinning the clinging sauce back into a soup.
