Spaghetti Squash with Apples, Bacon, and Walnuts

Fall. The leaves. The gold. The annual spectacle. I drove along Skyline Drive on Thursday and the city was on fire below and the lake was steel-gray beyond and the colors were the same and the beauty was the same and I didn't pull over to cry. I didn't pull over to look. I just drove, and the beauty was there, beside me, alongside me, part of the drive and not separate from it. The beauty is part of the drive now. Not something I stop for. Something I move through. Lena started at the University of Minnesota this week — freshman, College of Biological Sciences, wildlife biology. Anna sent photos: Lena outside her dorm, Lena in the campus bookstore, Lena holding a textbook about ecosystem dynamics with the expression of a person who has found her holy text. She's eighteen and she's in the place she's supposed to be and the being-in-the-right-place radiates from every photo. I called Lena on Sunday. She was breathless and happy and talking fast about her orientation, her roommate ("nice, from Mankato, also pre-vet"), the dining hall ("acceptable, but nothing like your cooking, Grandma"). I said, "I'll send you a care package." She said, "Cookies?" I said, "Pepparkakor." She said, "It's September." I said, "Pepparkakor transcend seasons." She laughed. The laugh of an eighteen-year-old starting her life. Sven is stable. The medication helps. He follows me to the kitchen (slowly). He eats his meals (slowly). He sleeps deeply. He's comfortable. Comfortable is the goal. Comfortable is what I aimed for with Paul and what I aim for with Sven and what I aim for with myself. Not happy, not healed — comfortable. At ease in the body, at ease in the house, at ease in the day. I made a fall dinner: butternut squash soup with brown butter and sage. The October soup arriving in September because the squash is ready and the soup doesn't know what month it is. The soup is warm and golden and it tastes like the season turning and I ate it on the porch in the cooling evening air and the air smelled like leaves and lake. Fall. The beauty part of the drive. The granddaughter in college. The dog comfortable. The soup golden. The season turns. I turn with it. Not stopping. Not pausing. Turning.

I didn’t have butternut squash on hand that evening — I had a spaghetti squash from the farmers’ market sitting on the counter, patient and golden, and it seemed right to let it lead. The apples are from the same market, the bacon is from Sven’s favorite butcher, and the walnuts have been in the pantry since last October, waiting for exactly this kind of evening. When Lena called from her dorm breathless and happy and the porch air smelled like the season turning, this was the dish that came together — simple, warm, and completely at ease with what it is.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs), halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn), cored and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 35–40 minutes, until the flesh is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Shred the squash. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the flesh into long strands. Transfer to a large bowl and cover loosely to keep warm.
Cook the bacon. While the squash roasts, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Soften the onion. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
Add the apples and garlic. Add the apple slices, garlic, and thyme to the skillet. Cook, stirring gently, until the apples are just tender but still hold their shape, about 3–4 minutes.
Deglaze and combine. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and stir to lift any browned bits from the pan. Add the spaghetti squash strands and the crispy bacon to the skillet. Toss everything together over low heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls. Top with toasted walnuts, fresh parsley, and shaved Parmesan if using. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spaghetti Squash with Apples, Bacon, and Walnuts — The Season Turning Golden on the Plate