Cooking on the bright side of life

This is the first ever recipe that I published (on the German page ‘Chefkoch’). Below, you can find the recipe and what I would do differently today.

Click on the image or here to go to the original Chefkoch recipe.

Spaghetti Squash with Chili Prawns

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 150 g raw prawns fresh or defrosted (do not use the frozen pre-cooked ones, they will dry out)
• 1 red chili pepper
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 50 g fresh spinach
• 100 g ricotta for a lighter version, you can use sour cream
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Wash the spaghetti squash, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Season with a little oil, salt, and pepper, then roast cut-side down in the oven for about 45 minutes.
2. While the squash is in the oven, wash the spinach, chili, and tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in quarters, and slice the chili into thin strips. If you prefer less heat, use only half a chili and most importantly: remove the seeds.
3. 10 minutes before the pumpkin is done, heat a oil in a pan, add the chili and sauté briefly. Then add the shrimp and sauté on both sides until cooked through (depending on the size, about 1 minute per side). Press the garlic, add to the pan. Wait a few seconds for it to become fragrant, then add the tomatoes and spinach and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the pumpkin is cooked, fluff the flesh with a fork, mix in the ricotta, and top each pumpkin half with the chili prawns. Enjoy!

Notes

If you’re short on time, you can also cook the squash in the microwave. Place the squash cut-side down on a microwave-safe plate and add a few drops of water to the plate. It takes about 8 minutes per 500g (1 lb).

What did I change compared to my original recipe from 6 years ago?

• Roasting the spaghetti squash cut side down instead of cut side up.
• The timing when to put the garlic into the pan. I used to put it in at the beginning. But for crushed garlic, the small garlic pieces will turn brown and bitter.
• Removing the seeds from the chili for a less spicy version.
• Reduced the cooking time of the prawns. to 1 minutes per side from 2-3. Considering the overall time in the pan, 2-3 minutes was too long and will lead to overcooked prawns.

These may seem like small details, but getting the small details right makes the difference between an okay-dish and a great dish. So pay attention to details! It will definitely elevate your cooking game.