Sometimes you come across a recipe that is so good as it was written that you don’t alter it one bit. This recipe is one. Spaghetti Squash Primavera is a colorful medley of fresh vegetables that honors the summer bounty. The taste matches its beauty. Serve along side grilled chicken or fish (with a glass of white wine) for an extra special dinner.
The history of this recipe, which comes from Saratoga Farmers’ Market Coordinator Suzanne Carreker-Voigt, is worth sharing. In 1987 her godmother gave her the Crème de Colorado Cookbook to commemorate their love of the State of Colorado. The book was produced that year by the Junior League of Denver (which over the years has produced numerous fantastic cookbooks). This one sold out its first 60,000 copies within months. A second run of 60,000 books was printed, followed by even more with total sales to date of half a million. That is how good the cookbook is and where this keeper-recipe came from.
This is exactly how it is written in the book:
Spaghetti Squash Primavera (Serves 6)
Basil Tomato Sauce:
2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
½ cup olive oil
½ cup firmly packed minced fresh basil
½ cup firmly packed minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetables:
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 medium carrots, sliced into ½ inch pieces
2 cups of broccoli flowerets
1 medium zucchini
½ cup minced green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour.
Prick skin of squash. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 1½ hours or until tender when pierced. Let cool for 15 minutes. Halve lengthwise and carefully remove seeds and any loose membranes. With a fork, scrape spaghetti-like strands of squash away from shells; set aside. Reserve shells.
Separately steam or boil carrots, broccoli and whole zucchini. When each is cooked, transfer to bowl of cold water. Drain. Halve zucchini lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices. In large skillet, sauté onions in olive oil until tender. Add drained vegetables and heat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine hot vegetables, spaghetti squash and sauce. Spoon mixture into reserved squash shells and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes:
Today the Junior League of Denver has sold over 1.7 million of its five cookbooks. These, including Crème de Colorado Cookbook with 700 recipes, are still available from jldcookbooks.com.
A version of this market recipe appears in this week’s edition of Saratoga Today. The ingredients for this recipe are timely and will soon disappear as autumn vegetables debut. Right now everything but the salt, pepper and olive oil can be found fresh at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.
