Squashetti

Hey loves! Are you getting excited for Thanksgiving? I have already been baking up a storm, perfuming my house with notes of tart cranberries and citrus orange.

I am currently working on a new recipe for cranberry orange muffins (as per Nanny's request), but if you are looking for another holiday treat to make for dessert or just to have with coffee now, why not try my vegan cranberry orange scones? They are definitely grandmother approved!

But for now, let's talk about fueling for the big day. I don't know about you, but my favorite part about the Thanksgiving meal is the roasted veggies. Around them, I usually just turn into a bottomless pit. Never mind that I'm full, I just want more vegetables!

To better prepare for this feast this year, I've started the festivities early. While runners are known for eating lots of spaghetti before their races, I prefer speghetti of a veggie variety for my "training."

Enter Squashetti. While I do not think of spaghetti squash as a replacement for normal pasta, I do like eating it in a similar way. Spaghetti squash's sweet strands make it the perfect base for natural candy (aka roasted veggies), chickpeas, and a blanket of marinara sauce.

In fact, one of the wonderful things about Squashetti is that it just keeps giving! Depending on the size of your squash, you could get as many as 2-6 servings out of just one.

However, I am "in training," so I only got two. Ah, the life of a veggie-lover!

Squashetti (aka Spaghetti Squash Marinara with Roasted Vegetables)

Ingredients: 

• 1 spaghetti squash 
• roasted vegetables of choice (directions for eggplant, yellow squash, brussels sprouts, and green beans are below)
• chickpeas 
• pasta sauce

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F. 
2. Prepare the spaghetti squash by cutting it in half lengthwise. Either bake in the oven or steam in the microwave. 
1. In the oven: Place each half facing up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, if desired (I don't). Bake for 1 hour, or until the squash is tender and the strands come lose when scraped with a fork. 
2. In the microwave: Place in a large covered dish and microwave for about 8-10 minutes, or until tender. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare the roasted veggies. (Examples are below.) 
1. Cut eggplant and yellow squash into thick slices and cut brussels sprouts in half. 
2. Place on a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. 
3. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, if desired (I don't). 
4. Bake for 20 minutes. 
5. Flip the eggplant and yellow squash, and add the green beans to the cookie sheet. 
6. Bake for another 20 minutes. 
4. To assemble Squashetti: 
1. Use a fork to remove the strands of the spaghetti squash. 
2. Cover strands in pasta sauce. 
3. Place chickpeas ontop. 
4. Garnish with roasted veggies. 
5. Mix and enjoy!

Notes:

• This recipe is perfect for busy nights, too. It can come together in a pinch if you already have some roasted veggies on hand (or just use steamed ones, or even microwaved frozen) and decide to microwave your squash. A delicious veggie-filled meal in only 10 minutes! 
• I recommend tenderizing your eggplant slices before you roast them. To do this, simply salt the slices and put them aside while you prepare the other parts of your meal. Depending on time, you can wipe them with a paper towel (to remove the moisture that is released and the salt) in as little as 10 minutes, though I recommend about 15-20. The resulting roasted eggplant slices will be soft and very flavorful. 
• If you can, please use cooked beans (as opposed to cans). You can read my thoughts on canned beans here. Trust me, the flavor of cooking your own is SO worth it! 
• I used pasta sauce from Whole Foods. While I love making my own in the summer with the bounty of fresh vegetables, this version was great in a pinch. It is very flavorful and would be a lovely dip for any kind of vegetable fry (like yummy eggplant fries!) 

All of those delicious roasted veggies definitely have me all geared up for tomorrow's festivities. Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? And what are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Have a lovely day! 

xox, 

Mandiee 

P.S. The name "Squashetti" is curtosy of my creative grandmother, Nanny. Too cute!