It’s March, not exactly peak season for pie makers, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that I’m stretching when our featured recipe is a quiche made with spaghetti squash.
Forgiven, but mistaken.
Photo ©Johnny Autry, from The Harvest Baker by Ken Haedrich (Storey Publishing)
But this is no stretch. It’s about shining a light on one of my favorite veggies of all time, one that’s both under-appreciated and overly intimidating for one inescapable reason: spaghetti squash is a bear to cut open, a problem I’ve tackled head-on in the video below. I’ve been sidelined from the kitchen a number of times because of cuts, so I cringe at the thought of a spaghetti squash – or anything else in the kitchen – causing you harm due to a preventable accident.
So please watch the video. It will help keep you safe and put you at ease when you take a knife to this stubborn little gourd.
Those of us who do love spaghetti squash normally prepare it as a side dish. Here, however, it takes center stage in the company of sautéed onions and mushrooms, garlic, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese – all draped in a rich, savory custard. As quiche goes, this is almost as good as it gets. Novel, too: I can virtually guarantee that it will be a first for most anyone you serve it to (unless, of course, they’ve also been cooking from my book, The Harvest Baker, where this originally appeared).
Quiche is one of the few dishes that can credibly be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner so even if you live in a small household this doesn’t linger in the fridge for very long. I think it even tastes better the second day, when the spaghetti squash has absorbed all the lovely flavors around it. There’s only one way to check me on this and that’s to make our spaghetti squash quiche in the near future. When you do, I hope you’ll let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Pastry note: Use any of your favorite pie doughs for this recipe, including the Good Basic Pie Dough or Food Processor Pie Dough
Spaghetti Squash and Parmesan Cheese Quiche
Yield 8 - 10 servings
Most of us think of spaghetti squash as a side dish, tossed with a little butter and Parmesan cheese. But it can also play a starring role in some traditional dishes, the way it does in this creamy, cheesy quiche. Serve it for brunch, lunch or dinner - even breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe favorite pie dough (enough for a single crust pie), refrigerated
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups baked spaghetti squash (see accompanying video or note below)
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half or milk
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 2/3 cup grated Cheddar, Fontina, or other favorite melting cheese
Instructions
- Roll the dough into a 12 1/2-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Line a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan with the dough, sculpting the overhanging dough into an upstanding ridge. Alternatively, you can use a 9 1/2-inch tart pan, preferably one with a removable bottom and 1-inch high sides. Fold over any excess dough and beef up the sides with it. Prick the bottom of the shell 6 or 7 times with a fork. Refrigerate the shell for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil about 14 inches long. Gently line the shell with the foil, pressing it into the creases so it fits like a glove. Add a thick layer of dried beans, banking them up the sides. Place the shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake the shell for 25 minutes. Slide it out and carefully remove the foil and beans. Re-poke the holes if they've filled in. Slide the shell back in and bake another 7 to 8 minutes, until it is just starting to turn golden. Transfer the shell and baking sheet to a cooling rack. (Once it cools, smear a tiny bit of cream cheese or sour cream into the fork holes, to plug them.) Leave the oven set for 375°.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, cover, and cook gently for several more minutes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, tossing with two forks to mix it. Remove from the heat. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until blended. Whisk in the half-and-half, heavy cream, flour, mustard and thyme. Spread the squash mixture evenly in the shell without compacting it. Slowly pour the custard over the filling, nudging it this way and that so the custard settles all around it. Sprinkle the grated Cheddar over the top.
- Bake the quiche on the sheet for approximately 45 minutes, until slightly puffy, wobbly, and golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Reheat leftovers on a baking sheet, loosely covered with foil, in a 300° oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Note: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash - Please watch the video that accompanies this recipe to watch what I think is the easiest way to cut spaghetti squash, along with my cooking instructions. Try this technique if you've never cooked spaghetti squash before or have had trouble cutting it in the past. If you'd rather, here's a more traditional method: Using a sharp chef's knife, halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. (I've baked it cut side up, and down, with a little water in the pan, and either way is fine.) Brush the flesh with olive oil. Salt and pepper if desired. Bake in a 375° oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until tender when pierced with a paring knife. Cool, then rake out the squash strands with a large fork.
