This recipe was given to my Mom by my Nouna (Godmother in Greek).  I am very lucky to have so many wonderful cooks in my life.  My Nouna is no exception.  Any recipe she recommends, I am eager to try.  The original recipe uses traditional spaghetti, half-and-half, and gorgonzola cheese.

My first idea was to eliminate the spaghetti, and replace it with spaghetti squash.  If you have never used spaghetti squash before, don’t worry!  The baking process takes a little bit of time, but it ensures that the squash won’t overcook and lose the beautiful spaghetti quality.  You can also microwave it until it is cooked through, but it is easier to over-steam the squash.  The most important thing to note is that you must remember to take a knife and poke holes in the squash before you place it in the microwave.  I have had a spaghetti squash explode on me, and the clean-up is not fun.  The use of spaghetti squash here is perfect; it is hearty enough to be an entree, and makes it gluten free.

I love blue cheese, but Taylor is not a big fan.  I had already planned to substitute the half-and-half for unsweetened coconut milk (from a can because it is thicker than the boxed varieties), so it made sense that I would leave out the cheese altogether to make the dish Paleo.  I did, however, leave the olive oil for sauteing the shallots, kale and garlic (I used organic).  I knew that the temperature wouldn’t get too high, and I could not justify eliminating olive oil from such a simple, Italian dish.

The results are in, and the dish is a winner!  The shallots and garlic flavor the “spaghetti” perfectly.  There are no other seasonings besides sea salt and pepper.  The coconut milk adds a perfect creaminess, so you won’t miss the cheese (even if you are a cheese lover).  Hopefully you (and my Nouna) will enjoy this dish as much as Taylor and I did!

Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 small bunch of kale, stems removed
• 1 large shallot, fined minced
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• 2. Rinse spaghetti squash and poke holes all over to release steam
• 3. Place on a paper towel, microwave for 2 minutes on HIGH
• 4. Place spaghetti squash on a parchment paper-lined pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the spaghetti squash over once at the halfway point
• 5. When cool enough to touch, cut spaghetti squash in half and remove dark yellow squash that contains seeds
• 6. Meanwhile, wash and chop kale into small pieces, pat dry
• 7. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet on medium/med-high heat
• 8. Add shallots, cook until translucent
• 9. Add kale, garlic, cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently
• 10. Add chicken broth, and coconut milk, cook until kale is tender
• 11. Using a fork, scrape spaghetti squash into coconut milk mixture
• 12. Using tongs, incorporate coconut milk/kale mixture evenly into spaghetti squash
• 13. Sprinkle with red pepper, if desired
• 14. Enjoy!