Spaghetti Squash with Meaty Sauce and Garlic Toast

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Pasta has never really been my thing, and I have to be in the mood for it. It’s like beer, and it makes me feel heavy and I don’t like feeling uncomfortable after a meal. In comes spaghetti squash to spice up the party. I love how light it is, and well it pairs with any sauce you want to top it with. I love going between pesto, red sauce, and garlic olive oil sauce. I know it doesn’t have same chew as pasta, but if you are looking for carb-friendly option, this is for you. You could always substitute out regular pasta too and keep everything else the same. I love making this meal because there are always leftovers and they taste just as good as they did the first time. I know a lot of people are big on making their own sauce from scratch and I can respect that. Since I am just cooking for myself unless it’s a special occasion, I am going to find ways to cut down cooking time. I love making meals with some prepared ingredients because they help speed things along. What are your favorite recipes for a red sauce? Is it a family recipe or one you found online or made yourself? Let me know in the comments and I want to hear if you tried this recipe and what you thought of it.

Thanks for reading,

Jessica

Spaghetti Squash with Meaty Sauce and Garlic Toast

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Yield: 4-5

Author: Jessica Morton

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 1 Large Spaghetti Squash, roasted and shredded
• 1 jar (25 oz) of spaghetti sauce or homemade if you want (I used TJ’s Arrabiata sauce for this recipe, but their spicy spaghetti sauce is also great).
• 1 12 oz pack of Impossible meat or any other meat replacement you want to use. TJ’s beefless crumbles, lentils, and Beyond meat are all good choices but you can also leave this out if you want.
• 2 cups of chopped mushrooms (I use cremini but white button or portobello will work) depending on how much you want. If you aren’t using the meat listed above, you can just add more mushrooms.
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 6 gloves of garlic depending on how large they are. You can use to taste; I just love garlic.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons of Savory Spice Blend
• 1 teaspoon of TJ’s Mushroom Umami seasoning (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of Herbes de Provence (a mix of rosemary, basil, sage, and thyme will do if you don’t have herbes de provence)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon organic cane sugar (You can use whatever sugar source you have on hand, I find the sweet helps with the acidity)
• ½ teaspoon of TJ’s 21 Seasoning Salute (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of TJ’s Italian Style Soffritto (optional)
• ½ cup of red wine to deglaze the pan (I like TJ’s Two Buck Chuck Cabernet, but water or veggie stock would do just fine)
• 4 Tablespoons of grated Violife parmesan cheese to top the plates (You can sub out whatever vegan parmesan you have)
• 2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Garlic Toast Ingredients

• 1 French Baguette or Ciabatta Baguette (I like TJ’s because they are cheap and organic)
• Vegan Butter (I like Earth Balance butter) use enough to cover however many pieces of toast you are making
• 1 Teaspoon-1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base, again depending on how much of the baguette you make. A little goes a long way, but I like to spread it on top of the butter
• Sprinkle of Herbes de Provence, 21 seasoning salute, Savory Spice blend, and fresh cracked pepper on top
• 3 tablespoons of finely grated Violife parm (or alternative) depending on how many pieces you make
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut both ends off the squash and stand it up on the now flat bottom. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut through the center of the squash, letting gravity help you cut through it.
3. Using a large metal spoon, scoop out the insides with the seeds, being careful to not scrap out the meat of the squash along with it.
4. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the inside of both sides of the squash, and sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over. Flip both sides over so the insides are face down on a cookie sheet with liner, or a glass dish that will hold them both.
5. Roast uncovered for 20-35 minutes until you can push a fork down into the flesh and easily shred the squash. I like mine a little al dente, but you can cook it another 5-10 minutes depending on size and your preference.
6. While the squash is cooking, heat a large pot or dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and onion to the heated pan. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes. I like to add the onion first, so the garlic doesn’t burn being in the pot too long without other ingredients.
7. Add the mushrooms and another drizzle of olive oil if the pot is a little dry (you can use water or veggie stock if you want to use less oil). Season with salt and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
8. Add your vegan meat/protein source to the pot and use a wooden spoon to break it up. I try and make the pieces as small as possible because I like it equally distributed it throughout the sauce.
9. Add all your seasonings (minus the bay leaf and parsley) to the protein and stir well, making sure everything is equally covered.
10. Once your protein is heated through and well-seasoned, pour the wine (stock or water) into the pan to deglaze it. Use the wooden spoon to scrap the bottom of the pan and get anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid cook down a bit with a low boil, all while stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.
11. Add your sauce, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot, stir well, and bring to a boil. Once there, drop the temp to low, cover and let it simmer while the squash continues to cook. Stir occasionally.
12. While they are cooking, cut the baguette down the center, and cut them up into however many slices of toast you want make. I like to make each piece around six inches and give each person two pieces.
13. Spread the butter and garlic base on all the pieces and sprinkle the seasoning and parmesan on each one. Set aside on cookie sheet until the squash is done roasting.
14. Once the squash is cooked, pull it out and let it rest while you put the garlic toast in. Roast toast for about 6-9 minutes, or until golden brown. Broil for 2-3 minutes if you want to melt the cheese. Because it’s vegan, it sometimes takes more to melt it. Just be careful not to burn it.
15. Using a fork, shred the squash up until all the of the flesh looks like noodles. I like to season them again with a little olive oil or vegan butter and salt and pepper.
16. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and turn off the heat.
17. Plate up the squash like a bed of noodles, top with the sauce, grated cheese, and parsley. Top garlic toast with parsley too and serve.

Notes:

If you have the time, I like to prep the squash and set aside, then I start the sauce. I prefer to cook the sauce low and slow for an hour at least before I plate it, but it is still delicious if you are short on time and cook it as listed above. I also like to add kale or spinach to the sauce if I want to sneak in more greens. I just add them in before I add sauce so they can wilt a little first. The noodles and sauce are stored best separately and reheated together. I like to make the toast fresh for each meal because I am not a fan of reheated bread. Both the noodles and sauce are good for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge.