Can We Just Squash It?
I have a confession, I loooooooooooove pasta! I could eat it everyday and never grow tired of the stuff, from macaroni to penne, to spaghetti, to linguine, the list goes on and on and on. And let’s face it, it’s ALWAYS a good time for pasta. However (yes, you knew it was coming, so here it is), pasta, if eaten every day, can make your pants shrink. Okay, okay, so maybe your pants don’t really shrink, but YOU will begin to grow. No, not taller silly, but WIDER 😝. One of the pitfalls of newly transitioned vegans is becoming a carb-a-tarian. You eat rice, and pasta, and oatmeal, and bread, and potatoes, and Oreos, yes, Oreos are vegan, which leads me to my next point. Just because something is void of cholesterol or didn’t come from an animal does NOT qualify it for the World’s Healthiest Foods list. Okay, I made that list up, but you get my point.
So back to becoming a carb-a-tarian, once I discovered I could eat pasta, I ATE PASTA and MORE pasta, and MORE pasta, and my pants shrank; yup, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it😒 (insert pregnant pause)...Sooooooo after a while, I could no longer stand myself, and I knew what had to be done. I reluctantly backed away from the food that had brought me so much warmth and comfort...and weight. Did I regret it? Not really, especially since my clothes began to fit me as intended. Things had gotten crucial, and I was beginning to look like a busted can of biscuits. I’ll pause here so you can fully embrace that visual😂.
After a while I really began to miss pasta, then one day my cousin Kasey asked if I had tried spaghetti squash. Honestly, I thought she had fallen and hit her head. Was she REALLY asking me to cheat on pasta? Wasn’t it enough that I had cast my friend in food aside for a thinner waistline? Well, she was indeed, asking me to cheat, and I’m glad she did. Now of course I had to do some research about this mystery squash to see if it was actually worth trying, and after reading that one cup was a mere 50 calories, it became a no brainer. I ran out to the store and purchased my first spaghetti squash; a moment filled with hope, and just as much doubt, but I was wiling to give it a try. Once I made this dish, I was upset that I hadn’t tried it sooner. The texture was a bit different from pasta; it was more like an al dente but not quite, AND, it tasted GREAT so I thought I would share this treasure with the world. With no further adieu, I’d like to introduce, ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH A LEMON HERB SAUCE!
P.S. You all owe me $2,000 for saving you from buying a new wardrobe. You can forward all monies to me; thank you :)! I truly hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!
ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH A LEMON HERB SAUCE!
Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water
For Sauce:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional) - don't worry, this dish is still kid friendly, the alcohol will burn off during cooking
juice from 3 medium lemons
2 tbsp cold vegan butter (I used soy free Earth Balance)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
For squash
Preheat oven to 375°
Slice spaghetti squash lengthwise and use spoon to remove seeds and pulp. Add cup of water to roasting pan and place spaghetti squash in the pan cut-side down. Roast for 30 minutes, or until squash gives slightly when touched. Remove squash from oven, flip over to expose flesh, and allow to cool for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Use a fork to scrape the squash along the width; you will see "spaghetti begin to magically appear. Once contents have been removed, discard skins. Place spaghetti squash in a strainer and allow to drain for 10 minutes, or place and cheesecloth and apply gentle but firm pressure to remove moisture from squash.
For sauce:
Over medium heat, add olive oil and onions to pan and cook for 2 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add garlic and cook for thrity seconds. Add wine and lemon juice and turn heat up to bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, then stir in vegan butter and whisk rapidly. Remove leaves of rosemary and thyme from sprigs, give a rough chop, and add to sauce. Place squash in pan and toss to coat. Reduce heat and cook for 1 minute, Serve warm.
