Do you know what is absolutely amazing about this dish? It's like you're eating a big bowl of spaghetti, but it has about 1/5 of the calories! I don't know about you, but that definitely sounds like something I'm interested in. Check out more spaghetti squash nutritional awesomeness here.
The marinara sauce is your perfect, basic marinara to top the spaghetti squash or any pasta dish you make. It's chunky with veggies, so it almost gives it a "meaty" texture. And when your cooking this bad boy, the whole house will smell like heaven! Sounds like a good date night opp to me! Plus, it needs to simmer for about an hour, giving you plenty of time for vino and conversation :D Dooooo it!
Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce
serves 4-5
TOTAL TIME: 1 hrs 15 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tablespoons coconut or grapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Add fresh basil (optional)
- *Spicy Option: add a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
- 1 spaghetti squash
- Oil to brush on
- Salt & pepper to season
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 min.
- Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.
- While sauce is simmering, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush cut sides of squash with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheet on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Then scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place strands in a large bowl.
- Remove sauce from burner and discard the bay leaves. Place sauce on top of the spaghetti sauce as you would top pasta noodles.
- Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste, basil, and crushed red peppers!
Recipe inspiration from Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentils
STORAGE
Cool, then cover and refrigerate. If you are a pasta lover, double the batch and freeze the extra! Pour two cup portions into freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months!
MAKE AHEAD
If you don't want to stress about making something the day of, this dish will taste just as good the next day. Refrigerate or freeze, then rewarm over medium heat before using.
