A while ago I posted about a great site, Tastespotting. Not too long after posting, the site shut down. I’m happy to report that it is back up and running (and has been for awhile now). I love this site, not just for food voyeurism, but also for dinner ideas.
Last week I came across this recipe for a spaghetti squash and quinoa bake. I’m a big fan of casseroles and bakes, and decided to give this a try. I followed the recipe fairly closely. The changes I made were
- to saute some pancetta along with the onions
- swap out dried thyme for dill
- omit the peppers
I also think you can be more creative with the cheese than just a mexican blend. Any variety, provided it doesn’t get too greasy, would work just fine.
The results were good – the squash has a nice crunch, and I think the pancetta and onions added a good flavor. You could probably use a variety of meats to make this more of a main dish than the side dish that I had planned on.
Love both of those ingredients – I don’t have pancetta at home, but I suppose I could substitute bacon that I have on hand.
Also, I HATE onions, and until a few years ago, had sheltered my daughter from them at all costs. She happened to go to a sleep over where they ordered veggie pizza (which had red onions), and not to be rude, took a piece.
She came home the next day and declared “you’ve been keeping me from these delicious things my whole life?”
She now has her own onion shelf and enjoys all kinds of onions.
Mmmm…onions. I love them. I remember the moment, around 15 years old, that I discovered I liked onions. It was a good moment.
Yum, texture looks great! I recently discovered tastespotting, too, and am addicted.