A Month-of-Mediterranean: Spaghetti Squash with Marinara

Decades ago, when we were just out of graduate school, we were really poor. No debt, but absolutely no money coming in until that first paycheck in a month. The tiny bit of money we had left from savings was strictly for necessities. No fancy meals in those days.

One of my slightly-better-off friends suggested a number of vegetarian meals as it was pretty cheap to buy lentils, and you could eat off a pot of them for a week. She also told me to buy spaghetti squash instead of pasta. So I did.

I should have queried her a bit more about how to prepare it. I knew I was supposed to “fluff up” the fibers in the cavity of the baked squash half, but I didn’t know I was supposed to have cleaned out the seeds first. Very unpleasant texture. It was our worst “spaghetti” experience EVER! It took me decades to try it again.

 

Now, spaghetti squash is one of my go-to meals. Filling but low in calories and fat while high in fiber. Topped with homemade marinara and cheese, you’re talking comfort food!

Sometimes, as in the picture above, I put a little leftover taco meat on top. But usually, we eat it as a vegetarian meal with a salad and garlic bread. We eat it from the squash rind, but to be fancy you can scrape it out and put the squash strands on a plate and add your sauce (or just butter and cheese).

I make my own marinara sauce, but the jarred stuff will work, too. Just watch the ingredients to keep it as nutritious as you can! My rule: if I can’t pronounce an ingredient, I don’t buy it!

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara (serves two)

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

Olive oil to rub on squash

1½ cups marinara sauce

¾ cup Asiago cheese (or romano or parmesan)

I make a big batch of marinara so I can prepare a quick meal. Next time you boil spaghetti, save some of the pasta water for this recipe.

Marinara Sauce (best made day ahead; can freeze leftovers)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cans diced tomatoes (or use 12 Roma tomatoes, mashed)

1 can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons dried basil

½  red wine

½ cup pasta water (after cooking pasta)

Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat in a pan. When just turning translucent, add garlic. Cook about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and basil. Stir together. Simmer for five minutes.

Add wine and pasta water. Simmer for about 2 hours. Even better made the day before.

[Note: After sauteeing, you can put all ingredients into a slow cooker, mix together thoroughly and cook on low for four hours.]

To bake the squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a pan with parchment paper or Silpat sheet.

Cut a spaghetti squash from the stem end to root end. Remove all the seeds.

Brush the cut side lightly with olive oil. Put cut-side down on the baking sheet and pierce the back of the squash skin several times.

Bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes. Remove. Allow to cool somewhat. Then shred the meat of the squash with a fork to make spaghetti-like strands.

Remove some of the shredded squash strands and put in a bit of marinara. Put squash back in and add more marinara. (If adding meat, put it on top.) Repeat with the other squash half. Top with cheese and put back in oven, cut-side up, until cheese is melty. A nice salad makes your meal complete.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“I feel so healthy!”, he says with a smirk. He makes fun of me for trying to keep us eating well, but I know he’s only teasing. In our family, HE is the health freak! (she says with a smirk)