SPAGHETTI SQUASH-ZUCCHINI FRITTERS [PALEO + GLUTEN-FREE]*
I’ve been buying a lot of spaghetti squash at the farmer’s market as a healthy, gluten-free substitute for pasta in various dishes, like spaghetti Bolognese. One spaghetti squash provides a TON of “spaghetti”, so I decided to turn some of the leftovers into fritters by combining it with some grated zucchini. The fritters came out great (no pun intended…) and created a fun and filling lunch.
{ Lovin’ from the oven, Chelsea }
Makes about 12 two-inch fritters
3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (directions follow)
3 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp salt, plus extra to taste
3 tsp garlic, minced
¼ cup yellow onion, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup almond flour
½ tsp baking powder
Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying
TOPPING (OTPIONAL)
½ cup crème fraiche
Juice of half a lemon
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic
Pinches of salt
Freshly ground pepper
Prepare spaghetti squash (directions below), preferably the day before.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Trim ends off zucchini and grate them on the large holes of a box grater.
In a large bowl, toss spaghetti squash and zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. While the squash and zucchini shreds are resting, sauté garlic and onion in an oiled pan for about 5 minutes or until cooked. Set aside.
Wring out the squash and zucchini in one of the following ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away. (This is an important step because it will prevent the fritters from being too soggy!)
Return squash and zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste; add more salt if needed. Stir in cooked garlic and onions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together almond flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet, only a few at a time, so they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat process with remaining batter, keeping the pan well-oiled.
For the topping, if using, stir together the crème fraiche, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving.
* Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
HOW TO COOK SPAGHETTI SQUASH: Cut squash in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Scoop out seeds and save for another use (I strongly recommend roasting them with some salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme!). Place squash halves cut side up on a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 375F for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a fork punctures the flesh of the squash easily. If the squash seems to be drying out while baking, brush with an additional tablespoon of olive oil. Remove squash from the oven and allow it to cool just enough so you can handle it, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape flesh from squash into wonderful, stringy “noodles” with a sturdy fork and place in a small serving bowl. If some of the strands clump or gather together, simply separate them using your hands.
/// roux studio /// 