Steak with Tomato-Basil Spaghetti Squash

It's steak night and I thought I'd make some spaghetti squash to serve on the side. I didn't want to use a heavy sauce, so I combined fresh basil, tomatoes, and garlic to make a light, summery dish. The fresh, uncured garlic from my CSA has a strong flavor so I only used a little. If you are using dried, you may want to up the quantity. I also used a really big squash so we had leftovers for breakfast. Enjoy!

Serves 3.

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup basil, cut in thin ribbons or "chiffonade"

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 ribeye steaks, or your favorite cut

3 Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar, divided

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar in a glass baking dish. Place steaks in dish and turn to coat both sides with marinade. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the squash. If you make it earlier in the day, refrigerate and then remove 30-60 minutes before grilling.
2. Preheat grill to medium high.
3. Pierce the squash several times with a fork or sharp knife, being sure to pierce all the way through to the middle.
4. Microwave whole squash at 70 percent power for 15 minutes. Check to see if skin is softened, then continue to microwave in 5 minute increments until skin is very soft and pliable.
   NOTE: Be sure NOT to cook on full power AND that you pierce the squash all the way through, otherwise, you may end up with a squash explosion in your microwave. I've heard rumors...
5. Remove squash from microwave and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let it finish steaming. 
6. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Scrape squash "noodles" from skin and into a bowl. Reserve half for another use.
7. While squash cooks, prepare other ingredients and combine them in a medium bowl. Add cooked noodles to bowl and toss gently to combine.
8. Grill steaks to desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve steaks with spaghetti squash.