Spaghetti Squash Medley

October arrives, and the sixth autumn of this journal begins with the particular beauty that the Lowcountry reserves for October: the light golden, the air finally cooling, the marsh grass at peak gold, the entire landscape performing its most restrained and therefore most moving season. October in Charleston is the quiet woman at the party — not the loudest, not the flashiest, but the one you remember after everyone else has gone home.

Mama has been requiring more care — Ruth now comes six days a week, the seventh day covered by Naomi, and the coverage is the arithmetic of a disease that takes more than it gives and that requires the family to keep giving even as the return diminishes. Mama no longer walks to the garden without assistance. She no longer makes grits. She no longer hums as frequently. The no-longers are accumulating, and the accumulation is the decline, and the decline is not sudden but daily, and the daily-ness is the cruelty.

I have been writing the cookbook with increasing urgency — Chapter Eight, which is about Mama's Hoppin' John, which is about luck and tradition and the New Year and the peas that promise what the cook hopes for, which is continuity, which is the thing that cooking promises more reliably than anything else in the world: that the food will be made again, that the table will be set again, that the family will gather again. The promise is in the cooking. The cooking is the promise.

Carrie called from Kyoto — she has settled into the semester, found her rhythm, discovered a ramen shop that she considers "life-changing" (her assessment of most food experiences in Japan). She is happy in the specific way that a person is happy when they are exactly where they should be and they know it.

I made Hoppin' John — not for New Year's, not for luck, but for the cookbook, for the chapter that is about luck and about Mama and about the peas that simmer on the stove while the woman at the desk writes about the simmering. The cooking is the research. The research is the cooking. And the book is both.

The Hoppin’ John had already done its work — the peas simmered, the chapter written, the promise made — but October kitchens have a momentum of their own, and the squash from the garden that Mama can no longer walk to had been sitting on the counter long enough. This spaghetti squash medley is what came next: not ceremonial, not lucky, just honest October cooking, the kind that fills the house with something warm while the light outside goes golden and you are still at the desk, still writing, still keeping every promise you can.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs), halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 35 to 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, spaghetti-like strands. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside, tenting loosely with foil to keep warm.
Cook the vegetable medley. While the squash roasts, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Add the remaining vegetables. Add the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, roasted red pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender and the tomatoes have begun to release their juices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine and finish. Add the spaghetti squash strands to the skillet and toss gently to combine everything with the vegetable medley and pan juices. Cook together for 2 minutes so the flavors meld.
Serve. Divide among four bowls or plates. Top each serving with fresh basil and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spaghetti Squash Medley — What October Puts on the Table When You Need the Kitchen to Answer Back