"Spaghetti" Squash Lovin'

Tonight is one of those nights when Passover starts to wear on you- you're craving pasta like mad, you'd sell your soul for a slice of quality pizza, and it is all you can do to not speed on over to your local sushi joint and literally just eat a bowl of sushi rice. At least, thats how I feel... 

In comes the spaghetti squash. With such a mild flavor, this versatile veggie can be complemented by almost anything. I typically serve it with a simple pat of butter and some fresh parmesan cheese, but tonight I was really feeling like tomato sauce. So, here you have it. My Passover kosher "pasta with tomato sauce" and "chocolate cake." Enjoy!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Cut the stem off of your spaghetti squash and then cut it in half length-wise. With a metal spoon, scoop out the seeds. Rub the inside and outside with olive oil and place the squash cut-side down in a glass baking dish. Fill the dish with water about 1" deep. Bake, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the skin of the squash. With a fork, scoop out the "spaghetti" into a bowl. 

While your spaghetti squash is baking, you can make this sauce (or pop open a jar of your favorite sauce- I'll never know!)

Homemade Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tbsp chopped red bell pepper

2 8-oz cans Hunt's Basil, Garlic & Oregano tomato sauce

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp dried italian herb mixture*

1 1/2 tsp dried basil*

1-2 tsp dried red chili flakes 

1/3 cup sliced black olives

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium until the onions are almost translucent. Add the sliced garlic and chopped red bell pepper, cook for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in the onion powder, garlic powder, italian herb mixture, dried basil and red chili flakes. Stir around for 1 or 2 minutes. Then, pour in the two cans of sauce. Stir to combine, reduce heat to low and cover for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, taste for seasonings add the olives. Cover, and reduce to simmer for however long it takes for your squash to be done. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor will be. 

When you are ready, serve your squash with a ladle of sauce on top and a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bask in the deliciousness of your mock-pasta and slowly get over your carb craving ;)

I also was super motivated to make a flourless chocolate cake tonight. I have never made one before, and always wanted to, so I decided that Passover is the perfect opportunity! I made one mistake- I forgot to bake it in a water bath, but it still turned out better than I could have hoped. This cake is fondly called "Chocolate Idiot Cake" by its creator, the great David Lebovitz, because only an idiot could mess it up. And he is right! Although I made that one mistake, the cake was still moist, delicious and sinfully chocolate-y. I have wanted to try one of his recipes for quite some time, and it was truly fantastic. You can find the recipe HERE. I served it alongside my new obsession, Sweet Republic's lavender ice cream. Seriously, to die for. 

I hope these recipes inspire you to look at the bright side of Passover cooking (even if you aren't celebrating Passover)- opportunities to cut out the carbs and replace them with a delicious veggie (spaghetti squash), and to try new recipes (flourless chocolate cake). Enjoy!

xo

*You can also use fresh herbs if you have them available, note that dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs so you need to use a larger amount of fresh herbs in this recipe.