Tag: spaghetti squash

Marry Me Spaghetti Squash

Looking at that title, I want to clarify. I do not want to marry spaghetti squash. I am already in a committed relationship. There is a flood on food sights, however, for the “Marry Me” base and I am actually getting on the bandwagon (a little).

Where did this come from? As the story goes, it originated at Delish, a video food site. It was a skillet chicken dish with a Tuscan flavor featuring garlic, parmesan, cream, and sun dried tomatoes. Seeing the dish caused a producer to say that they would marry for it.  And that is how a trend was born.

Actually the ingredients are a wonderful combination and cooks soon realized that it could be used for all manner of proteins and in many cases vegetables. I have made several variations using chicken, but this latest experiment focused on the versatile and identity conflicted Spaghetti Squash.

It is a hard shell squash like the winter squashes, but the inside is a pale yellow and when cooked it becomes stringy and if done “al dent” is a bit crunchy.

Some say it can be used in place of pasta. I find that a bit of a stretch. You really can’t twirl it on a fork and while it does get along with tomato based sauces, it really does shine with creamier toppings and in casseroles If you cut the squash carefully, the skin can become the baking/serving vessel. I posted a recipe many years ago doing just that. It was called Spaghetti Squash Lasagna and you can check out the recipe here.https://mamadskitchen.net/recipe/spaghetti-squash-lasagna/   

Now back to today’s dish. The base is oven roasted spaghetti squash. This is by far the best way to cook it.  Cut the squash in half length wise and scrape out the seeds. Spray the cut side with cooking spray and season to you liking. Bake cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet for 30 minutes or so at 350 degrees. The skin should yield a little when you touch it. Let it cool and then scrape the flesh out. It should come out in small strings.

Now for the other ingredients. I did use the Marry Me cornerstones, sun dried tomatoes and garlic, but I added a few other ingredients that speak to me often, those are Artichoke Hearts and Spinach. Garlic gets lonely if it doesn’t have onions, so that went in too.

Cheese, in my recipe is pecorino romano. Freshly grated, it will give some sharpness to the dish.Yes, that is the Mouli Grater I have had since I was a bride (the first time).

Now for the sauce. I didn’t use cream, I didn’t have any, so I substituted Ricotta (whole milk) and to lighten it up just a little, some chicken broth The pecorino would also join the sauce. More about that other pictured cheese later.

While the squash was roasting I cooked the other vegetables. A little olive oil and the onions went into the pan, followed shortly by the artichokes, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and finally the spinach. Then I gently folded in the shredded squash and we were ready to turn it into a casserole.

The sauce was Ricotta, Chicken Broth, and Pecorino. I played with the broth until everything was creamy but not soupy. Then it was into a casserole, topped with a foil bonnet, and into the oven. 20 – 30 minutes and it was time to replace the foil bonnet with a layer of that Italian Cheese Blend.

It came out beautifully golden and was too quickly scooped onto plates. It was a perfect accompaniment to grilled pork loin.

Here is the recipe. As always change it up and make it your own.

Print
Marry Me Spaghetti Squash
Servings: 4
Author: binner216@comcast.net
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 -2 Pound Spaghetti Squash
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
  • 2-3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1-1/2 Cups Frozen Artichoke Hearts Thawed and dried
  • 1/3 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
  • 4 Cups Spinach Roughly Chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Whole Milk Ricotta
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth More or less as needed
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Grated Romano or Parmesan
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Italian Blend Cheese
Instructions
Roast The Spaghetti Squash

  1. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. A sharp knife and a bit of muscle will be necessary.

  2. Scoop out the seeds. Spray the cut sides with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Season as you choose. (I used Mccormick Italian Herb Grater.) Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet.

  3. Roast at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. It is done when you can press on the skin and leave a little impression. Remove from oven and allow to cool cut side up until it can be easily handled. When cool, use a fork to scrape out the strings.

The Rest of the Ingredients

  1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add the artichoke hearts and cook until they begin to get some color. This should take 5 minutes or so.

  2. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the spinach. The spinach will seem like a lot, but it will cook down in a matter of minutes. Finally add the squash and sun dried tomatoes folding them in and cooking for 2-3 minutes.

  3. Stir in the Ricotta and gradually add enough of the chicken broth to make everything creamy. When you are happy with the consistency, add the grated Romano or Parmesan. Make sure everything is nicely blended and pour into a medium size casserole that you have lightly coated with cooking spray. Lightly cover with foil and bake for 20- 25 minutes at 350 degrees until it is just starting to bubble around the edges.

  4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Italian cheese blend. Leave the foil off and return it to the oven. Bake until the cheese melts and is just beginning to brown. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Mama D’s Garden Adventures

It’s harvest time in our community garden. This year won’t be remembered as stellar, but it was an adventure and ongoing learning experience. This isn’t farewell to the garden. I know there will be several more weeks of happy discoveries on each visit, but some of the splendor is gone. Plants that were once lush and full are now a little wispy, putting their strength into bearing fruit instead of leafing profusely. Recent harvests haven’t yielded bushels, but there were enough things to make for some interesting kitchen adventures.

As a tip of the hat to my son, I planted a Cayenne Pepper plant. While there aren’t enough to make vats of hot sauce or even a couple of bottles, there are plenty to liven up a dish with enough left over to dry. Yes, that is dental floss…gotta love the internet. I’m well into my second string now and the plant seems to be producing more peppers every day. Maybe there will be hot sauce in the future.

2015-08-16 14.36.27

On one recent trip to the garden I gathered a lovely cast of characters that would become a roasted vegetable side dish. Generous handfuls of grape tomatoes and green beans were joined by a few carrots, radishes, zucchini, and herbs. The result was a tasty medley that was really homegrown.

2015-08-18 16.44.09A RECIPE FOR ROASTED GARDEN VEGETABLES:               Gather the freshest vegetables and herbs you can find.   Clean and trim them. Toss them in olive oil, using one tablespoon of oil for every two cups of vegetables.Sprinkle with salt and pepper.                              Put them in a baking dish starting with those that will take the longest to cook. Place the dish in a three hundred seventy-five degree oven and roast, stirring occasionally and adding the veggies that take the least time. Check often to avoid burning.                                       When everything is tender crisp and the tomatoes (if you use them) are just beginning to break down, bring it to the table and let it bear testament to your green thumb.

I planted Spaghetti Squash and while the bees and other insects didn’t see fit to pollinate much of the zucchini, they did work their magic on the squash. They also were responsible for what I think is a cross-breed. Along with the lovely pale yellow spaghetti squash there are several green striped varieties on the same vine. I’m not a botanist and I don’t play one on TV, but I think that I grew the love child of a zucchini and a spaghetti squash. Was it good to eat? There was only one way to find out.2015-08-16 14.38.23

2015-08-21 12.24.24I conducted a non-professional experiment. I cut open the striped squash and compared it to its brother. The inside was more zucchini like while the seeds reminded me of other winter squash. It smelled like zucchini, it looked like zucchini, but it had a thicker skin. I decided I had to taste it to resolve the conundrum, but how to cook it? I cut it in half and roasted one side while I sliced and grilled the other. The roasted half tasted a little like zucchini and it didn’t become thread like when I raked across it with a fork. The grilled side tasted  zucchini like as well, but the skin was now hard like winter squash and the seeds fit more of the winter profile as well.2015-08-21 19.42.24 Let’s just say it was interesting. There is one more of these mutants still on the vine so I may give it one more try.

The true spaghetti squash, however, was wonderful.2015-08-16 07.18.05 The flesh was the palest of yellows and once it was roasted and raked it gave forth a mountain of “spaghetti” that was the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. I’ve shared other recipes for this squash that can’t seem to decide what it is. Hard shelled and slow growing like its winter cousins but with flesh that flakes into tender strings tasting a bit like summer squash. What ever it is, it’s fun to play with in the kitchen. Who can ever forget the fabulous Spaghetti Squash Lasagna adventure.DIGITAL CAMERALooking back, it is obvious that I tend to treat this squash like pasta though it has no resemblance in taste or texture to pasta. It is, however a gluten-free choice that packs a bit more fiber in its carbs than the real thing. These are facts that only make me love it more, not to mention that it is quite tasty with an interesting texture.

DIGITAL CAMERAI’ve topped it with lentils and tossed it with spinach and bacon. It alsoDIGITAL CAMERA makes a stunning side dish when combined with other vegetables. For all of these quick cooking dishes, the spaghetti squash must be pre-cooked. My favorite way to prepare it is to roast it in the oven. Okay, it’s also because I don’t have a microwave, which is a slightly quicker technique though I’ve found that squash explosions can be nasty to clean up. Experience has also taught me that boiling a large heavy squash in scalding hot water can cause some pretty serious burns. Kitchen mishaps not withstanding, it looks so pretty after it is roasted.2015-08-16 18.32.10

ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH: Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Drizzle each half with olive oil and season with salt and cracked black pepper.                               Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with foil and lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake in a 375 degree oven for  30 – 40 minutes. The squash should give slightly when pressed.  Allow to cool slightly.                                                                                           Using a fork, rake the flesh. It should turn into thread-like ribbons. Use this golden wonder as a pasta alternative or let it be part of a vegetable stir fry. The possibilities are endless. 

Now that I have shared my garden adventures and two non-recipe, recipes, I’ll leave you to check out my earlier squash adventures. Just click on the red links to see where spaghetti squash has taken me. Oh, and do make every effort to enjoy these last few weeks of summer…you know what is just around the corner.