Heather's Spaghetti Squash

  • 1 med - large spaghetti squash
  • nutmeg for grating (pre-grated fine)
  • salt and pepper
Heather's Sauce Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 Tbl Olive Oil
  • 1 med yellow or white onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (died can be used)
  • 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (Muir Glen fire roasted is my favorite)
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbl red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbl butter

Cook the squash: Poke a few slits in the whole squash. Microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes. Time will depend on ripeness of the squash. Riper equated to shorter time. Remove from microwave to cool. When cool enough to touch, cut into fourths (length wise and width wise) to cool further. If using pre-made sauce (like Will's) warm on stove in a large (over-sized) sauté pan with a lid.

Heather's sauce:

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 and ½ tablespoons of olive oil on medium, medium-low heat. In the mean time, peel and cut in half a medium onion. Slice thin moon-shaped slices to make long spaghetti-like strips. Separate and place in pan to sweat. Finely dice one garlic clove and place in pan. Adjust heat and stir to prevent burning. Add sprigs of thyme, basil and oregano. Stir frequently for even cooking and no burning. Once onion is translucent and tender, stir in can of tomatoes. Lower heat and cover to simmer while preparing squash. Remove thyme just before adding the squash.

Add the squash to your favorite sauce. Using a fork, remove the seeds and the goopy flesh just around the seeds. It is perfectly fine if some of the goop ends up in the dish. Discard seeds and goop. Using a large spoon scrape the squash flesh onto a cutting board. If the squash is done it will be easily removed. If it is not it will be a little hard to scrape. Either is fine, it will continue to cook in the sauce. There should only be a thin outer shell left once the flesh is removed. In 3 or 4 batches, add 1/4 of the squash to the pan. Spread squash over entire pan for maximum surface area. Generously grate nutmeg, salt, and pepper over squash. Stir squash into the sauce. Repeat until all squash is incorporated into the sauce.

If using Heather's sauce, add red wine vinegar and butter to finish. Let simmer on low for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Dish will taste better the next day.

Serves 4 to 6.