My wife and I have never gone out for our food very often. The vast majority of the food we eat, we make ourselves. To this day, as a 31 year old, I may have ordered take out a handful of times, and have never experienced the wonder of delivery!
Growing up, neither of our families relied on restaurants or fast food very often, and if we got to go out, it was almost always for a special occasion or a treat. Now, as a parent and full time teacher, I see how much of a blessing and true act of love it was on my parents’ part to make sure there was dinner on the table each evening, and that we spent dinnertime together.
As many Americans have become reacquainted with their kitchens throughout this era of Covid-19, I have become more creative (or perhaps resourceful is a better word) in using what is in our house.
The other night we had only a few things left in the house, and I knew I needed to get something together for dinner. I’ve always been a fan of meals that are thrown together with whatever is lying around.
However, I doubt many of those would ever be worth recording, refining, and publishing. However, this one sure is! What I like about this recipe is that it combines classic sausage, peppers, and onions with an unlikely pairing of spaghetti squash, and adds a bit of pizazz with a wine sauce.
Spaghetti Squash with Sausage, Peppers and Onions in White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash with Sausage, Peppers and Onions in White Wine Sauce
For the Spaghetti Squash
- 1 Spaghetti Squash (approximately 2 lbs.)
- Drizzle of Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
For the Sausage, Pepper, and Onion in White Wine Sauce
- 1 lb. of Sweet Italian Sausage
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 6 Peppers, washed, cored and sliced into slivers
- 1 – 2 Sweet Onions, sliced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- 1 tbsp. Basil Leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. Thyme
- 1 tsp. Oregano
- ½ tsp. Pepper
- Zest of ½ a Lemon
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup dry/Semi Dry White Wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
- 2 tbsp. Flour
Instructions
- Set an oven to 400°F
- Using a sharp knife and cutting board, slice the spaghetti squash in half length wise and remove seeds.
- Drizzle the cavity with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, gently message in.
- Place the squash, cut side down, onto a roasting pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until tender (I prefer mine with a bit of texture).
- In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. If using sausage links, cut into bite size portions with a knife or kitchen shears and place in the dutch oven. If using loose sausage, place it all in at once. Give the sausage plenty of time on each side, undisturbed to build a nice crust before turning or stirring the meat. Once the sausage is fully cooked through, remove from the dutch oven and remove excess oil if preferred (I used lean sausage and kept the fat in the pan as fat holds flavor molecules and makes a deeper flavor in the long run.)
- Add up to a ¼ cup of the white wine to deglaze the dutch oven. Immediately add the sliced peppers and onions to the dutch oven. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic and spices/herbs and cook for another 3 minutes until garlic just starts to brown, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, and white wine. Cover, reduce heat to a low simmer for 5-10 minutes. Once the peppers and onions have softened, add the sausage back into the pot and simmer for 30-45 minutes. If you like a variety of texture in your dishes, pull out some of the peppers and onions and return them to the sauce in the last 10 minutes.
- Once the squash is finished cooking, pull it from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle, but still warm.
- After taking the squash out of the oven, add 2 Tbsp. of flour to the sauce and stir in the thicken. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Using a fork, scrape the flesh of the squash out and add to a serving bowl. Top with the sausage, peppers, and onions. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.