A spaghetti squash gives hundreds of squash strands that look like pasta.  It is in season this fall and grows locally.  It can make a great side dish to a Thanksgiving dinner.  

My family is Italian so there is fennel, local cherry tomatoes and fresh Mediterranean herbs.  

This was a hit at our house last night.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Side Dish

Adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes

olive oil

1 tsp fennel seed

1 onion, diced

1 fennel, cut in half and sliced thinly

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, diced

2 cups of local cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 cups of spaghetti squash, cooked

2 splashes of basalmic vinegar

3 tblsps of fresh oregano, parsley and basil

Grated asiago cheese for serving

Bake the squash whole at 375 degrees for 1 hour.  Let cool completely on the outside.  Cut in half and remove the strands with your hands.

In a pot or large saute pan, add olive oil and heat the pan to a medium temperature. Add the fennel seeds and let cook until you can smell them. Add the diced onions, kosher salt and pepper and let them soften. Add the fennel slices and let soften. Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes and let cook for a few minutes. Add squash and stir. Splash the basalmic vinegar. Add the herbs right before serving. Grate a hard cheese, like asiago, when serving.

The original recipe did not have the vinegar, cheese, oregano or fennel seeds.  I looked at the recipe and wanted to add more flavor.  If you look at the ingredients, such as fennel, you can decide to add a deeper flavor with the seeds.  As I cooked the recipe, it did not have enough flavor when I tasted it after adding the squash.  I thought along the lines of Italian food to determine the type of vinegar to use.  I added one splash, tasted and then decided to add another.  Tasting your food is important when following a new recipe to determine if it meets your taste preferences.

Amy Hetager, Local Organic Meals on a Budget Blogger