As fall has begun to take hold, turning leaves golden and adding crispness to the air, my appetite for Autumn staples has started to increase. Pumpkin curry over basmati rice, roasted acorn squash with butter and brown sugar, and even the asian pear and the black mission fig dance throughout my thoughts, creating a slight hint of their flavors on my taste buds. The possibilities are endless this time of year, so what to start with first?
On a cold October evening I decided my friend Allyssa would be the first to taste the fruits of my fall labor. The meal: oven roasted spaghetti squash tossed with spinach, heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, accompanied by herbed chicken breast and mixed greens.
“I’ll bring the wine,” announced Allyssa upon my invitation.
I started by piercing the skin of the spaghetti squash with a skewer to prevent an explosion in the oven. After lightly greasing a baking sheet the squash was ready to bake at 375 degrees for one hour. In the mean time I prepared the rest of my ingredients while casually sipping a glass on 2007 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Rings of red onion, spinach and garlic were thrown into a sauce pan to soften as the squash baked. Perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes were diced, fresh mozzarella balls were sliced and basil was rolled and chopped. After the hour was up I removed the squash from the oven, cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and scraped the sides down with a fork. Spaghetti like strands were piled onto a white serving platter and mixed with the previously prepared ingredients along with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
The aromas were like a detonator to the senses, filling the house with the smells of early October.
“You could publish this recipe,” declared Allysa after her first mouthful, further illuminating the fact that the other morsels spread about the table had taken a back seat to this wanna-be pasta.
We cooked, we smelled, we conquered!
Photography By Emma Uribe
