Spaghetti Squash Success!

Who knew spaghetti squash could make such a splash?

Tonight's dinner involved a giant spaghetti squash that we bought at our farmers' market over the weekend. I admit: I have never had spaghetti squash. But I've been super excited to try it, and today was the day! When I mentioned to the Facebook world that I would be attempting this meal, my friends had quite the time encouraging and coaching me through my meal! Hilarity ensued.

Spaghetti Squash with Super Easy Pasta Sauce
Serves 4

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 onion
• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups organic pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place it face down on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Then remove the seeds (apparently, like pumpkin seeds, you can roast the seeds for a delightful snack) and use a fork to scrape the squash into spaghetti-like strands.

Meanwhile, dice the onion and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and allow it to brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the pasta sauce and red wine; allow to reduce by about one quarter. Add the squash and toss. Serve immediately.

This squash was delicious! I'm so excited to have it again tomorrow for leftovers. I'm especially grateful to my Facebook buddies for their cooking tips during my first attempt with this dish. It was fun interacting with everyone, and I'm excited to say their tips worked!

After I officially mastered the squash recipe, I convinced Terry that we needed to grab some frozen yogurt at Twist, our favorite local frozen yogurt shop. Normally we walk, but today we opted to make it a quick trip. Terry created a peanut-butter decadent delight, and I enjoyed a pumpkin-vanilla-heath bar-graham cracker delight. Mmmm...we missed Twist during our hiatus from eating out! 

The return of Twist!

I'm already excited about tomorrow's breakfast: Homemade pumpkin muffins! Lisa over at 100 Days of Real Food helped me satisfy my craving for pumpkin baked goods in a healthy way. (By the way, these muffins are super quick, and Terry and I both felt they are much lighter and more delicious than any box mix pumpkin muffins we've ever had!) I also made a pumpkin loaf to freeze for later, and I put chopped walnuts in both.

Pumpkin muffins

Pumpkin bread

Hope you had a happy Tuesday! If you need help sleeping tonight, check out my post from earlier today on sleeping well!