Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bake
I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I’ve posted on here. It’s been a crazy last 6 months both personally and globally. In January and February I poured all my energy into applying for postdocs. I got three postdoc offers in Chicago, accepted one with the intention of going back for a year with Frankie while Nate stayed behind in his current job. Crazy, I know. So crazy I ended up turning it down 12 hours later, doing lots of public sobbing on the lightrail, hating on my husband, and accepting that fact that I just needed to take a life pause to reevaluate things after internship ends.
My training director talks about how life is suffering (isn’t that true) but we can take our power back by choosing our suffering. So I made the intentional choice to try to reinvest hard in enjoying my time with my little family and take a pause on obsessing about future plans.
Three weeks later the pandemic hit in Washington and I found myself working from home and finally able to (physically) escape an internship I was really hating while spending more time with my girl whose daycare was closed for months. It was wonderful and hard and stressful and overwhelming.
In April I defended my dissertation, something that felt completely surreal and a benchmark I honestly didn’t know if I’d make it to only a couple months earlier. Then as the Spring crept on the idea of not having work lined up made me nervous. I love my daughter more than anything in the world, and I love spending time with her, but I don’t think I’d be happy being a stay at home mom indefinitely.
So here we are 6 months later. I have 4 weeks left of internship and I’ll officially be Dr. Nicole. So anticlimactic because graduation two weeks ago was cancelled. This fucking year, man. I’m interviewing for private practice positions and attempting to start studying for the EPPP to take this Fall. Oh and we’re moving to a better neighborhood in two weeks.
There were several months this past winter when as hard as I tried I could’t imagine a future. So being here now sort of feels like the world ended last winter and we’ve been living in this post-apocalyptic world. The pandemic has blurred time in such a weird way.
Anyway, I’ve done a lot of cooking the past few months. So much sourdough bread, so many $300 trader joes grocery runs. This has become one of my favorites, I love it for it’s simplicity. And Frankie loves it too. And considering she basically lives off of berries and milk, I consider this a huge win.
Hang in there friends. Take care of each other. Wear a mask. Address your internalized racism. Prioritize your mental health.
Serves 6-8
1 medium spaghetti squash (around 3 pounds)
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 oz mushrooms, torn (I used a mixed medley but any kind works)
1 small bunch of kale, thinly sliced (spinach or chard work here too)
25oz jar of your favorite red pasta sauce
1 can of cannelini beans
10 oz mozzerella, sliced
parmesan cheese
fresh basil for topping
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice your squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the flesh side with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake the squash flesh side down on a sheet pan with parchment for about 45 minutes until a fork pierces through easily. Set aside. (Note: this step can be done well in advance if you’d like.)
Turn your broiler on high and let it heat up while you prepare the filling. In a large sauté pan heat a generous glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a generous sprinkle of salt & pepper and cook until softened about 5-7 minutes, add the mushrooms cook. Just before the mushrooms are done cooking add in your greens and cook until just softened. Scoop out the flesh of the spaghetti squash and add it to hot pan with the vegetables. Pour in the pasta sauce and beans and stir everything together to incorporate. Cook the entire mixture until warmed throughout. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the spaghetti squash mixture into a large oven proof casserole dish and top with thick slices of mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with parmesan and drizzle of olive oil. Place the casserole dish uncovered in the upper third of your oven under the broiler for 4-6 minutes. Watch closely so the cheese doesn’t burn. You want the cheese melted, bubbly, and just beginning to brown. Remove from oven, top with fresh basil, and serve.