By Linnet Good
When I was a child, my grandmother used to grow spaghetti squash, and serve it up to us kids with a flavoursome tomato pasta sauce. We were, of course, delighted with the idea that spaghetti could grow inside a pumpkin.
Here’s another way to serve this fun vegetable. I usually use wholemeal flour in my pizza
bases, as it has more flavour, but you could use a strong white flour (Italian ‘Tipo 00’) for a more traditional base.
Serves 2
Ingredients
300 g plain flour
pinch salt
1 dried yeast sachet
2 tsp raw sugar
2 tblsp olive oil
200 ml lukewarm water
Estra olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Salt to taste
Pesto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tblsp pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Topping
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise,
seeds and pulp removed
1 cup thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and
brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground
nutmeg
430 g goats cheese
Thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
Method
Pizza base
Sift the flour and salt onto a clean surface, making a mound. Mix the yeast, sugar, water
and oil, and leave for five minutes, or until the yeast goes nice and bubbly.
Make a well in the centre of the flour, and pour in the liquid. Use a fork to gradually
bring flour into the centre from the sides, and mix in, until it all starts to come together.
Work the dough with your hands until all is combined. Knead until the dough is smooth
and springy.
Place the dough into an oiled bowl, and oil the top of the dough to stop it from drying
out. Place a damp cloth over the top and leave in a warm place until the dough has
doubled in size.
Knead briefly, then divide into two pieces. Leave to rise half an hour or so, then roll out
into circles or squares, about half a centimetre thick, on oiled baking trays. Brush with
olive oil and sprinkle on salt and thyme leaves.
Pesto
Place olive oil, basil leaves, pine nuts, oregano and parmesan into a food processor and
blitz until it is a smooth paste.
Topping
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Drizzle the flesh of the squash with olive oil and season with
salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking pan and
pierce the skin in several places with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the squash over
and bake until the spaghetti-like strands can be easily removed with a fork, about 10
minutes more. Let cool before scraping the flesh into a bowl. It will come out in long,
spaghetti-like strands.
Spread the pesto onto the pizza bases, and top with the strands of spaghetti squash
flesh, crumbled goats cheese and cherry tomato slices.
Bake pizzas in the hot oven for around 20 minutes.
Cut into wedges or squares and serve with lemon wedges.