Spaghetti Squash

I actually cooked myself a meal last night! I decided to bake one of the spaghetti squashes that I've been stubbing my toe on for two weeks. So I got out the cleaver and went to work.

The cleaver was a bad idea. It's necessary for a big ol' butternut squash, but next time, I think I'm going to use my bread knife again. Or maybe buy a cheaper bread knife just for squash. Anyoo, after wrestling with the squash, I baked it rind side up for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.

While the squash was cooking, I made a sauce for it. Like most people, I eat spaghetti squash like it's spaghetti, so I whipped up a quick pasta sauce for it. First, I caramelized some onions (not red ones, of course). Some notes about caramelizing onions if you haven't done so before--it helps to throw the onions in the pan and let some of the water cook out before you add any fat. It only takes a couple of minutes. Also, you need to prepare 3-4 times as much as you think you'll need since those slivers get even smaller once they're cooked. And be sure to cook them on medium to medium low heat and use plenty of olive oil or butter (I prefer butter) or you'll end up with crispy onion bits, not caramelized onions.

Once the onions were nearly done, I added some diced tomatoes, chopped garlic (from a jar; I cheated), olive oil, salt and pepper. I stirred and let the mixture cook for just a couple of minutes--I like for my tomatoes to still be in chunks.

Once the squash was done, I scooped out the strands, mixed in the sauce and voila! Dinner. I took pictures, but it's not the most attractive dish, so I won't bother to publish them. But it was tasty! And I've still got half the squash for dinner tonight--not sure exactly how I'll prepare it, though. I might peruse a few sites and books for some inspiration.