It’s hard to ignore squash this time of year. They’re everywhere. But aside from great fall decoration, squash make for good eating… if you can get over your fear of cooking them.
I suffered from squash-phobia for most of my adult life. Oh, I loved eating all types… but cooking them was a different matter. They seem hard and complex. But they are just the opposite.
Take the spaghetti squash. Basically what you want to eat comes in its own containment system. Just put the whole thing in the oven for a bit, and then easily slice it open to get to the good stuff.
A few years ago, I decided to cut down on the amount of pasta I was eating. But being a lover of Italian food, I was thrilled to find a healthy and tasty alternative that worked with one of my favorite dishes: spaghetti marinara with poached egg.
What’s great about this dish is I’m not filling up on carbs, I’m getting some greens in the form of spinach, and I’m helping to ensure my body is benefiting from all that the vegetables in this dish have to offer — thanks to the delicious poached eggs that provide just enough fat to help my body soak it up. Without a little fat, your body doesn’t absorb the vitamin E, especially, that this squash (and spinach) are excellent sources of. And believe me vitamin E is a powerful health-boosting antioxidant you want to reap the benefits of.
Enjoy!
Spaghetti squash marinara with poached egg
- 1 medium sized jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 2 handfuls of torn spinach leaves
- I clove of garlic
- Less than ¼ cup of olive oil
- 1 medium to large spaghetti squash
- 4 or 5 eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Romano or Parmesan cheese
- Preheat your oven to 375. Place squash on a baking sheet and place in over to cook for one hour. Bring your marinara sauce to a boil in a sauce pan; then turn down heat to a low simmer.
- Squash is fully cooked when you can pierce it easily with a knife. Let it cool, then slice open (long wise). Scoop out seeds and discard, then using a fork scrape all the “spaghetti” out. It should have just a little crunch.
- Warm olive oil and sauté garlic clove in a skillet. Add spinach leaves till wilted then add spaghetti squash. Stir and mix together, heating through, for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat and cover.
- Carefully crack your eggs into the marinara sauce and cover with lid. Allow them to poach on top of the sauce for about 7 minutes or until white is not runny.
- For individual servings, put squash and spinach on a plate and top with sauce and eggs, carefully scooping egg from sauce pan so as not to break it. Sprinkle with cheese.
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