One of my favorite things to do is to meander through the produce department to see what’s freshest that day. I go in without a plan and peruse. Based on what strikes my fancy, I proceed to wander the rest of the store, concocting a dish as I go along.
The abundance of summer is over for the year, but there is still so much to be had! I have quite a fondness for winter squash, so I’m never disappointed when autumn begins to show its bright colors and causes us to layer outerwear. Spaghetti squash is a fun one, as it can be used as a substitute for pasta or just tossed with some olive oil and Parmesan for a side dish. I opted for the former this go around the store, and was quite pleased with the result. I added a vegetable marinara sauce, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, chard, and some Italian sausage. It made for a hearty supper.
To pair, I chose a Teroldego. Its light tannins went nicely with the sausage, and the licorice on the mid-palate was delightful with the fennel that had been ground into the sausage. Side note — get to know your butcher. Our local ones at the co-op create the best sausage. A butcher can introduce you to new cuts of meat, and you’ll always find the freshest options. The Teroldego was also rich enough to hold up to the marinara sauce and really brought dinner to the next level.
Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Serves 6
1 medium spaghetti squash*
26-32 oz. jar of high quality marinara sauce (or homemade, of course)
1/2-1 pound of Italian sausage, depending on how meaty you want it
1 bunch of red chard, stems removed and chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut your squash in half. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put it cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the squash with either more parchment paper or tin foil and cook for around two hours or until the inside of the squash in tender.
When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the “noodles” out of the squash.
Drizzle olive oil in a saute pan and cook sausage over medium heat until browned. Add chard and cook until the leaves turn dark green and become tender.
Warm marinara sauce and then either toss everything together or layer squash, sauce, sausage, and chard on a plate. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
*If you plan a little, you can always cook your squash in the slow cooker while you’re at work. Instead of cutting it in half, just pierce it with a fork a few times and cook it on low for about eight hours. In my case, with my commute, it would probably be closer to ten hours. Thankfully, the slow cooker is forgiving.
Sapid Cellar Door 
richardrunner
/ November 8, 2014Spaghetti squash is awesome 🙂
Mellisa
/ November 8, 2014It sure is! 🙂
Arielle Tan
/ November 8, 2014Oh my, it looks heavenly ❤
Mellisa
/ November 8, 2014Thank you. 🙂