Pasta Poseur

I'm no carb hata, but I've always been intrigued by the concept of spaghetti squash. A vegetable that can take the place of pasta, both in appearance and heartiness? Would it work? Would it just taste like a limp poseur? I figured I'd experiment.

I roasted the pasta imposter for about an hour in the oven (cut in half, ends slathered with olive oil). While I was doing that, I decided to construct a sauce that the vegetable underneath could showcase. In an attempt to continue the healthy trend, I threw together a quick primavera marinara sauce. This consisted of:

1 can crushed tomatoes
about half a mini-can of tomato paste
Some chopped onions, garlic, summer squash, green beans, mushrooms and broccoli
salt and sugar
pepper
dried spices including: fennel seeds, marjoram, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes.

Yeah, I don't measure.

I browned the onions and garlic before adding the tomato paste and sauce. Now, I decided to cook the sauce separately and steam the veggies on the side in chicken broth, combining at the end, just b/c I hate overcooked veggies. Other methods are fine.

After about an hour, I took the squash out of the oven. It's pretty fun to scrape it out of its shell and see it take on its spaghetti-like texture. It's also not the best move to do it right away, as it's a burn waiting to happen.

I topped the squash with some sauce and a bit of smoked mozzarella stirred in.

The verdict: Well, it's not pasta. But it's good. I would recommend always using a distinctive sauce b/c you notice it a lot more when it's on a veggie instead. It wasn't the most filling dish I've ever had, but I'd eat it again!