today is a 2 for 1 recipe deal!

spaghetti squash marinara served with a side of grilled (or roasted) eggplant is regular favorite in these parts. i’d say we make it at least once or twice a month. it’s UBER healthy and easily takes the place of spaghetti and meatballs for this plant-based duo. you can make both of these recipes together, or easily separate. i like to enlist A in the dinner prep and tag-team to benefit from the savory combo of the eggplant and the marinara squash. i swear, somehow it winds up tasting wildly decadent. also, i still can’t manage to (safely) cut a spaghetti squash in half on my own. so yea, a man is requested in this kitchen to handle dense squash and large knives.

on this particular day, dinner was whipped up post 8PM monday night grocery shopping (why do i do this to myself). thus, i took the easy route and used store-bought marinara sauce, rather than cooking some up on the stove using stewed tomatoes and herbs. it works great either way, but if you’re going the jarred route, i seriously recommend Dave’s Gourmet Organic Spicy Heirloom Marinara Pasta Sauce along with basically every other sauce under the brand’s organic product umbrella.

prep time: 20 minutes // cook time: 12 minutes

// ingredients: spaghetti squash

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1/2 jar marinara sauce (or 2 cups homemade)
• 1/3 cup water

// method: cooking the spaghetti quash

1. slice the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise
2. scoop out the seeds & goop!
3. place squash slices face down in a baking dish, add 1/3 cup water
4. cover dish tightly with cling wrap
5. cook in microwave for 12 minutes
6. remove carefully and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing plastic wrap (gracefully - watch te steam!).
7. using a fork, scoop out the cooked spaghetti squash from the shell. careful! it will be hot.
8. top with marinara sauce and/or additional veggies – i love it with sauteed spinach.

while the spaghetti squash is cooking, prepare the eggplant if serving both together.