The Little Squash That Can

I have nothing against eating well, and if I can find a way to do that and still have it be different and exciting, then I'll be more likely to actually eat well. My big veggie of the week is spaghetti squash. This little guy (well, not little at all, actually), looks like a nightmare for a kitchen knife, but if you can struggle with it enough to get it cut in half (I take breaks in between extraordinarily dangerous carving attempts), it's like magic. Some extreme, primordial happiness hits me when I take the two roasted halves from the oven and hit it for the first time with a fork. The flesh of a spaghetti squash falls out like, well, spaghetti, which makes it exceptionally cool.

In a pinch:

Spaghetti Squash Putenesque

1 spaghetti squash
about 2 tablespoons of Olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut the squash in half, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and chuck it into a 350-degree oven for about an hour. When it's finished, take it out, and scrape the flesh from the skin with a fork. It should magically fall apart and look like spaghetti, which is the best part.

In a pinch, a jar of Putanesque sauce (Tomato sauce with capers, peppers, and Kalamata Olives)

Parmesan cheese

If you aren't in a hurry, fresh is always best. Try making your own sauce:

About 3 tbls of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic (the more the better!)
About 6 ripe tomatoes, crushed (or 1-2 cans of crushed tomatoes)
10-12 black or Kalamata Olives
2 tbls capers
2 tbls of parsley
1 small red chili (chopped)
Salt (sea salt, if you're schmancy)

So - just brown the garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, lightly. Add tomatoes, chili, capers and olives, and simmer on medium-high heat for roughly 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parsley and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Voila!

Add the sauce to your squash, and grate some fresh Parmesan cheese on top. In a pinch, use the shakeable stuff.

It's a super healthy, really satisfying vegetarian meal. And if you like, you can add some chopped anchovy fillets to the sauce (throw them in with the garlic and crush them to a paste) if you want to add a little richness.

I used this meal to cut the guilt I felt after finishing off my crème brulée.