In the last few years I've switched over to brown rice pasta, which is almost as delicious, and a bit healthier, than the classic durum wheat spaghetti. But even brown rice pasta is a processed food, and contains less nutrition than eating whole brown rice. So I try to limit my consumption, although we still need comfort food every now and then.
With this pasta history in mind, you will understand why I was suspicious when I heard about spaghetti squash "pasta."
I've heard about it for years, but never tried it until the other night. I set aside all my pasta prejudices, and tried Brendan Brazier's recipe from Thrive Foods (see below). And.... it was completely amazing! The coconut oil brings a delightful richness to the sauce, and the squash has a perfect al dente texture. My very non-vegan husband loved this recipe. You should try it! And please leave me comments about how it turned out...
Spaghetti Squash with Three-Step Marinara
2 lbs spaghetti squash (about 1 medium)
1 c. chopped onion
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (preferably raw)
3 cups chopped tomatoes (about 5 medium)
1/2 tsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. mesquite powder (optional--I didn't use this)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. parley + 2 Tbsp. chopped, for garnish (I substituted fresh basil)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Place cut side down in baking pan with 1/2 inch water. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
While squash is cooking, making the sauce. In a large saucepan, sautee the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes in the coconut oil. Cook until onions are translucent.
Stir in all other sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Place sauce in blender and puree until fairly smooth. Return to pan and keep warm at a low simmer.
When the squash is finished, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then scrape the flesh with a fork to extract the spaghetti-like strands from the shell.
Add squash to saucepan and quickly reheat for 2-3 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with fresh basil (and a quick shaving of sheeps-milk pecorino if you are not vegan).
Sounds delish! I recently tried a recipe for Zucchini Lasagna that uses zucchini in place of the pasta. It was amazing! To make it endo-friendly I didn't put any meat in it, and made a white sauce of homemade rice milk and oat flour in place of the ricotta/cottage cheese. Left out cheese all together. Here's the link to the original recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html
ReplyDeleteMy husband and our skeptical housemate LOVED it and are begging me to make it again! :) I ate it with a side salad while they had garlic bread.