Spaghetti Squash with Cheesy Marinara (Vegan)
Spaghetti Squash with Cheesy Marinara (Vegan) made all the members of my household drool. Seriously. I knew there would be skepticism at first sight, but mouth-watering, “MORE PLEASE!” hollers as soon as this was tasted and immediately scarfed down… annndd, I was right. The beauty of this meal, outside of the delish factor, is how incredibly easy and versatile it is. I made the adults spaghetti squash with shredded Miyokos vegan mozzarella, vegan meatballs (Trader Joe’s), and freshly chopped basil from my garden. I made my kiddo spaghetti squash with Quorn Chicken and parmesan cheese. The following day, I threw some left over olives I had from my Greek infused tofu scramble (recipe coming soon) in my bowl and my mouth melted just a teeny bit more. My point being, throw in whatever you’d like and it will still be awesome!
Many, many moons ago, my exe’s sister was in culinary school and taught us how to use spaghetti squash as pasta. I was hooked. As you all know, I’m a total f’in carb-whore, and my thighs really don’t appreciate that portion of my personality, so this discovery was pretty freakin’ fantastic to say the least. His sister also taught us a trick for cutting cilantro and parsley off the bunch. One day, when I actually have my YouTube channel that I’ve been talking about creating for over a year now, I’ll totally share that fabulous trick with you all. For the “one day…”
Anyway, enjoy the grub and the tunes! -FGG
Okay, so TOTALLY disappointing! My Yum Print Recipe card template isn’t working! Ugh… 🙁 I’ll post the recipe below without it. When I sort it out, I will revise this post with the recipe card.
30 minutes // Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
1 spaghetti squash
25 oz jar of garlic marinara (I used Cucina Antica)
2 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Miyokos or Follow Your Heart)
1/4 C fresh basil – chopped
Optional add-ons:
Vegan meatballs (I used Trader Joes)
Vegan chicken strips (try Gardein)
Vegan sausage (Gimme Lean OR Tofurky: Italian Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Basil)
Olives
Capers
Artichoke hearts
Spinach
Fresh Parsley
DIRECTIONS:
Cut the spaghetti squash in half – length wise and place in a large pot with boiling water, face down, for 25 minutes on medium high
While the squash is cooking, shred your mozzarella and chop your basil. Prepare any other ingredients you are using as well
When the squash is through cooking, scrape out the seeds with a fork or spoon. Next scrape each half of the squash with a fork. You should be able to scrape all the way to the shell leaving no “meat” left in the squash shells
Place the scraped squash back in the pot on low, and add the sauce, basil, and cheese. Stir well until the squash is thoroughly covered in sauce and the cheese has begun to melt
Add any other ingredients you are using and stir again
Remove from heat and serve immediately
Done!
Wine Pairings:
Red – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo OR Pinot Noir
White – Pinot Grigio OR a crisp Sauvignon Blanc
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera!
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera! will be your next favorite spring pasta dish! Crazy colorful, flavorful, and incredibly healthy… not to mention quick and easy to make. This is one of those meals where I sometimes say, “if you could purchase it in a store and didn’t absolutely love it, I’d give you a refund in full.” Dem be powerful words, pasta lovers! A rainbow of deliciousness awaits you. I found this rainbow array of veggies in my fridge left over from my Organics to You delivery and had to use them before they went bad. I had also purchased Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto. However, if you don’t wanna go out and spend too much dinero on that bad boy, I have an AMAZING recipe on my blog for a pesto just like Trader Joe’s – in the search box, type – crazy creamy pesto (not sure why my hyperlink wasn’t working).
On this fine and fabulous afternoon, I went nuts-o cooking dishes for the week and for the blog. Breakfast toasts, red pepper hummus, a spaghetti marinara with peppers and chard (recipe coming soon), and of course, the one and only Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera! I was a cooking machine. It was sunny, I had the door and windows wide open, and I listened to some My Bubba. If you don’t know these super hot, folk-esk, Scandinavian duo, get to know their music asap. They’re freakin’ amazing! So amazing, that I feel the need to add one of their recording sessions from a totally dope hostel in Iceland to this very post. You’re welcome. 😉 To sum this short post up (well, for me, haha), if you like incredible pasta and fantastic tunes, I implore you to make this recipe asap whilst listening to these superb ladies serenade you. Mangia!
PS- There’s a gigantic gap b/w my last photo and the video and recipe card. I can’t fix it! UGH! WordPress woes… 🙁
- 1 lb fusilli pasta (I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli) - cooked
- 8 oz of kale pesto (I have a recipe on the blog for this but I used TJ's Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto)
- 1 1/2 C purple broccoli florets
- 3/4 C broccolini or something similar - diced
- 3/4 C small red cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 C carrot - diced
- 3/4 -1 C thin aspargus - cut into approximately 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 of a lemon
- 6 large basil leaves (or the equivalent) - chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan
- Heat a large pan with olive oil over medium heat
- Add the carrots and asparagus stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes
- Add the purple broccoli, broccolini, tomatoes, salt & pepper, and squeeze the lemon on top of the veggies - stir occasionally for about 5 minutes
- Add the basil and stir for approximately 2-3 minutes more
- Your veggies should be crisp but cooked - don't over cook
- Remove from heat
- Pour pesto over your pasta and mix well
- Pour the veggie mix from the pan over the pesto pasta and still well
- Done!
- Sauvignon Blanc, dry riesling, or Fiano di Avellino
