Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Tomato Sauce

How was your Thanksgiving?  Who did you spend it with?  Any family drama I should hear about?  Like, which family member had a little too much wine or who you will never talk with about politics again?

Family dynamics always intrigue me - whether it's my family or someone else's.  Part of the reason I was drawn to a degree in psychology and then organizational development is because of my curiosity about human behavior and relationships.  I'm sure Freud would say it has more to do with my own relationship with my family.  But, I guess I'll leave it to him to be the final judge on that one.

My family was never one for "traditional" holiday food.  There was definitely more than one occasion where we had spaghetti instead of turkey on Thanksgiving.  I personally think it gives our family history a little character.  And I have to say that no one ever minded because my mom's spaghetti was fabulous.

I've been playing around with spaghetti squash this season and this is my favorite recipe that I've come up with so far.  The sauce is creamy and rich and brings out the flavors in the squash beautifully.  The spaghetti squash is also wonderful mixed with angel hair pasta or some gluten-free pasta of your choice.  I don't expect you to be serving this up at your next holiday meal, but I won't tell anyone if you do.

Serves 4-6.

4 spaghetti squash
1 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours (then drained)
1/2 cups water
6 oz tomato paste
1 medium tomato
2 small yellow onions (or 1 medium), chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Italian seasonings

Spaghetti Squash:
Cut your squash in half and remove the seeds. Bake rind-side-up in a 375 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Separate the strands by running a fork through the inside of the squash from the top to the bottom. The strands should easily come apart.

Creamy Tomato Sauce:
Add your olive oil and onions to a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions become transparent. Add your garlic and saute for an additional two minutes.

Blend your cashews, water, tomato paste, and tomato.  As long as you soaked your cashews for about 4 hours or longer, you should need about 1/2 cup of water.  If you did not soak them or soaked them for less time, start with 1/2 cup of water, adding a little more water as necessary for blending. (I tried a batch with unsoaked cashews and ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of water.)  You want the consistency to be thick, but it should be able to easily run through a blender.

Add this sauce mixture into the pan with your onions and garlic. Add your seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Pour over your spaghetti squash and serve.