Roasted tomatoes add sweet and rich flavor to this vegetarian caprese spaghetti squash recipe. Basil and mozzarella top off the fresh flavors. Thanks to DelCampo for helping me to share this recipe with you.
"The sum is greater than the parts? I don't get it." Since it was our older son asking the question, my husband explained it in his language...soccer terms. A group of 11 really good soccer players are just that individually...good. When you put them together, they can become something fantastic, even legendary.
Yep, he got it.
Caprese salads are the culinary equivalent of the same concept. Sweet tomatoes on their own...great! Fresh mozzarella cheese...you guessed it. Great. Basil...yeah, great. Put them altogether and drizzle with a fruity extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Legendary.
Since I am somewhat smitten with the caprese flavors, I try to work them into quick breads, meatballs and even frittatas.
Even spaghetti squash wasn't safe from my obsession.
The key to any good caprese is ripe, sweet tomatoes. DelCampo recently introduced cocktail tomatoes called T'mates. They are sweet, juicy and perfect for stuffing as an appetizer.
That is, if the t'mates last that long. It's so tempting to pop them straight into your mouth one a time, which we did with about 20 of them in under 10 minutes (I'm not kidding).
The tomatoes became even sweeter when roasted with olive oil and garlic. Be prepared for your kitchen to smell incredibly good for several hours! The whole process takes only 15 minutes, during which time you can be cooking the spaghetti squash in the microwave.
While we ate this caprese spaghetti squash as a meal, it would make a great side dish for your next backyard barbecue.
If you are looking for the T'mates in your supermarket, they are sold in recyclable cardboard containers, each holding about a dozen tomatoes.
Caprese Spaghetti Squash Recipe with Roasted Tomatoes {Vegetarian}
Ingredients
The Tomatoes:
- 10 Del Campo t'mates 11.5 ounces., cut into ¼-inch slices
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
The Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar or honey
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
The Spaghetti Squash:
- 1 3 pound spaghetti squash
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella diced
- 5 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
The Tomatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Place the tomatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil, and sprinkle them with garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Roast until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled and soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Roughly chop the tomatoes and set aside.
The Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, agave (or honey) and salt.
The Spaghetti Squash:
- Using a large, sharp knife, pierce a spaghetti squash in several places.
- Place the spaghetti squash in a glass baking dish and cook in the microwave on high for about 15 minutes, turning the squash halfway through cooking.
- Before handling, let the squash stand for 10 minutes. Cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Using a fork, twist out strands of the spaghetti squash flesh and place in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and dressing to spaghetti squash. Toss gently to combine. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by DelCampo for helping me to share this recipe with you.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by DelCampo. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Alisha Ross
My kids are grown, but when they were younger they liked to help me bake, especially cookies. I love baking cookies, but decorating them isn’t my “thing”, so sprinkles, icing, etc was their “job”. We also liked to make pizzas and would put out bowls of toppings so they could make their own with whatever they wanted on them.
Angie Ukena
Your recipe looks so yummy
meredith
Your recipe looks super yummy!
collette
Pinned!
Shannon
Looks delicious! I love spaghetti squash and tomatoes!
Courtnee Hardie
This looks so yummy!!!
Carolyn S
I love the variety of veggies...will be adding this to my meal plan for sure!