Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash

You can make pretty much anything delicious by making it "cacio e pepe" and this was no exception. Yum! It's so, so tasty. Sort of like a spicy macaroni and cheese. It's a little decadent, but only a little (no carbs, after all). I can't wait to make it again. It's so warm and cheesy and delicious!

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 1/2 cups loosely packed, freshly grated pecorino cheese
1/2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tbsp butter
salt
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the squash in half vertically, scoop out the seeds, and drizzle the edges with olive oil. Place face down on a baking sheet and roast for 45-50 minutes until very soft.

Crush the peppercorns by hand with a mortar and pestle. (If you don't have, you can just grind up some fresh black pepper, but the bigger chunks do make a difference.)

Flip the squash skin down and with a fork, pull out the "spaghetti" strands and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain a little if there's a lot of moisture (if not, just put in the bowl).

Heat a skillet over medium and melt the butter.

Add the squash and saute, seasoning with a little salt. Once warmed through, sprinkle the cheese little by little and stir (so that it doesn't all clump together) along with the pepper until it's well mixed.
Season to taste with more salt and pepper.