Pumpkin & Pomegranate

I would not serve this quick marinara to the Italian women I grew up with. I am sure she would throw her hands up in disgust and tell me that good food takes time. The other night I was just too tired and hungry to make the sauce like she would have preferred. Plus, my spaghetti squash was about to turn on me (when it cut it open the seeds had begun to sprout) so time was not something I had. What I had was a craving for spaghetti, and so I made an incredibly satisfying meal.

Getting my veggies in

Spaghetti Squash & Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 2 12 oz. Cans tomato sauce (just the tomatoes, not pre-made sauce)
• 1 Small Onion, diced
• 1 Carrot, chopped
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Small handful fresh Basil, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried
• a Few Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (about 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1 Large Garlic Clove (or more!)
• about 6 Crimini Mushrooms, Sliced
• 1/2 C. Red Wine
• 4 garlic stuffed olives, Sliced
• A handful of Pine Nuts
• 1.5 C. Steamed Broccoli

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Cut your spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds, place on baking sheet. Also place garlic cloves (in their skins) on the same sheet. Roast in oven until the squash is soft to the touch, but not too soft, about 25-35 minutes depending on size (remove garlic earlier if it is roasted before then).
3. Sautée the chopped onion in a little water (extra virgin olive oil or virgin coconut oil would be fine too) until translucent. Add the chopped carrot and contune to cook until carrot is tender.
   Add the canned tomato sauce, herbs, wine, mushrooms, and olives. Simmer until mushrooms are cooked through, longer if you have the time.
4. Remove spaghetti squash from oven. Using a fork, scrape out the fibrous strands of the squash onto a plate.
5. Remove the soft flesh of the garlic from it’s paper and mash with a fork. Toss with the spaghetti squash.
6. Top the squash with the steamed broccoli, the sauce, and then some pine nuts. I also put a generous dosing of Parma! on top for good measure.

*You can also cook the garlic with the sauce, but I love that roasted garlic flavor, and I didn’t have time to wait for it to cook and then put it in the sauce ;-)

Gorgeous Roasted Garlic