Spaghetti Squash with Lentil Bolognese

So Day Job forces me to be naked on camera, and we still shoot in SD, so when I overindulge in the processed stuff and sweets and get a bit squishier than usual, it's pretty obvious.  Unfortunately, the end of August is my busy time, what with Fan Expo and all, so I end up eating a lot of processed junk- fake meats, oreos (they're accidentally vegan!) and sweets galore.  I don't have time to cook, so I end up eating garbage.

But then comes September.  

Autumn is my favorite season of the year.  Fall clothes, the crisp smell of cool mornings, Hallowe'en, falling leaves...and harvest foods.  Is there anything better than drinking a mulled apple cider on a cool night in front of the fireplace, or digging into a perfect piece of pumpkin pie, lightly sweetened with maple syrup? I never eat healthier than Autumn, because my love affair with harvest foods means you have to pry me out of the kitchen.  Dancing?  Sorry, I have an apple crumble to bake.  Dinner with friends at a fancy restaurant?  No thanks, I'm REALLY feeling some homemade Thai pumpkin soup tonight.

 Harvest foods are my favorites...apples, pumpkin, squash.  Spaghetti squash in particular is a marvel.  Bake it and it shreds up into a perfect bed of noodles for pasta- slightly crunchy, juicy, and delicious.  As an added bonus, it's gluten free, chock full of folic acid, beta carotene, and potassium, and low in calories- about 42 calories a cup. I've smothered cooked spaghetti squash in cashew alfredo sauce, cauliflower "cheese" sauce...all of it's wonderful, but my favorite sauce is my lentil bolognese.  Because I use artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers in my sauce, it tastes like antipasto and spaghetti are makin' sweet love in your mouth.  (Is that appealing?  I'm not good with metaphors.)

Anyway, here's the recipe.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH LENTIL BOLOGNESE

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms

1 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, re-hydrated

2 roasted red peppers, chopped

2 cans artichoke hearts, quartered

2 cups cooked green or brown lentils

1 large jar tomato sauce 

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.  Halve the squash, scrape out all the seeds, poke holes in the skin, place cut side down on a rack, and bake for 10 minutes, then flip over and cook until tender.  (This took about 40 minutes in my oven- it might take more or less time in yours, because I have a touchy oven.)  Hold the squash with an oven mitt and shred the flesh with a fork until the flesh resembles spaghetti.

While squash is baking, in a large saucepan saute the onion in the olive oil on medium heat until translucent, then add garlic, thyme, and oregano.  Cook for one minute, then add the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have gone soft and released their moisture.  Add all other ingredients, stir, and cook until bubbling, then simmer 15 minutes for the flavors to blend together.  Serve over squash.