I used to be pretty content eating any and all plates of pad thai.
I mean, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with a pile of noodles dressed in a sweet and sticky sauce and topped with loads and loads of chopped peanuts.
That all changed after honeymooning to Thailand over 7 years ago (7 years?!) and eating dish after dish of perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked pad thai. And once I returned to Toronto, all my usual favourites seemed, well, not quite right anymore.
So what’s a girl to do but create her own version of pad thai. About damn time, right?
And with it being fall and the grocery stores pretty much exploding with all the winter squash, it seemed creating a spaghetti squash version was the perfect way to get my pad thai fix.
If you’re not familiar with spaghetti squash, you can read all about the ‘how-to’s’ here. We love us some spaghetti squash at How To Eat and have used it in many recipes, such as:
Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli Casserole
Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Tacos
Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil
And now we can add Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai to the list!
What really irks me about some of my neighbourhood take out Thai spots is the gloppy sauce that coats many a noodle and stir fry dish. This sauce has just three ingredients and is the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
We’ve also loaded this up with lots of veg, tofu, and egg, so every bite is a flavour and texture explosion in your mouth! And obviously, it all gets topped with a generous sprinkling of peanuts. Because what would pad thai be without peanuts?
So it may have taken about 7 years to get a perfect pad thai recipe down, but I think you’ll agree it was worth the wait.
Dara
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Print recipe| Serves | 3-4 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 1 hour |
| Total time | 1 hours, 15 minutes |
| Website | Adapted from Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai from The Kithcn |
Ingredients
- 1 Small spaghetti squash (cut in half lengthwise and seeded)
- 1 Block extra firm tofu (drained, pressed and cut into 3/4)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 227g white or cremini mushrooms (sliced)
- 3 Green onions (thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
- Lime wedges for garnish
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Note
Substitute rice wine vinegar for tamarind paste in the sauce for an even more authentic pad thai flavour.
Directions
| 1. | Preheat oven to 400F. Place squash halves flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-60 minutes depending how large the squash is, until a knife easily pierces the skin and flesh. Allow squash to cool enough to handle and using a fork, remove squash in strands. Set aside. |
| 2. | Meanwhile, in a large bowl or zipper bag toss tofu with 2 tsp canola oil and salt. Add cornstarch and toss again until tofu is evenly covered with cornstarch. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes (while squash is still cooking), flipping halfway through. Set aside. |
| 3. | In a small bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients together and microwave for 30 seconds until sugar is dissolved. |
| 4. | In a wok or a large sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper and mushroom until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green onion and garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Remove from pan and set aside. |
| 5. | In the same wok, add 1/2 tbsp of canola oil. Swirl pan so eggs cover the pan in a thin layer and stir until scrambled into large curds. Remove from pan and set aside. |
| 6. | Add remaining canola oil to same wok. Add squash and spread in an even layer. Sauté until water evaporates and squash begins to brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 of sauce and stir to coat squash evenly. |
| 7. | Add in vegetables, tofu, eggs and remaining sauce stirring gently until just combined. Top with peanut, green onion and lime wedges. Serve immediately. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator and reheat well in the microwave. |
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