Spaghetti Squash with Rapini

I know, now you're thinking I'm really crazy. Who the heck would serve the twin weirdnesses of spaghetti squash and rapini together, in one dish? Well, I did it, and Larry actually enjoyed it.

The key, once again, is garlic.

I served this dish with browned asparagus the other night, a combination that intrigued the taste buds and made for an enjoyable meal.

If you don't have rapini, use arugula or beet greens or even kale. Just make sure to cook the greens until they're soft, so they make a nice contrast to the al dente spaghetti squash strands.

Because it's just the two of us, I buy very small spaghetti squashes when I see them. They fit in the toaster oven easily, and cook in about half an hour. If you have a larger spaghetti squash, adjust the timing accordingly. I recently read that spaghetti squash cooks well in the slow cooker - taking 5-6 hours. I haven't tried that yet, but maybe in the heat of summer that will be a good way to get my spaghetti squash fix.

Spaghetti Squash with Rapini
1 small spaghetti squash
1 bunch rapini
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Wash the spaghetti squash with non-toxic, fragrance-free dish soap and bake it at 375°F until tender, 30-60 minutes depending on the size of the squash. Squeeze it gently to see if it's done. Let it cool a little, then cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and guts, and then fork the strands of flesh out into a bowl.

Wash the rapini and cut off the toughest stems. Stack the leaves in a pile and cut them crosswise in rough 1" pieces.

Warm the garlic in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it smells good, add the rapini, toss well with salt and pepper, and let it cook until soft.

Stir in the spaghetti squash strands, and let cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4 depending on the size of your spaghetti squash

Beans and Greens

Regular readers of this blog have probably figured out that I consider beans and greens foundation foods. If we all ate them everyday, we would be a lot healthier.

And really, there's no reason not to. With all the varieties of beans in the world (I currently have 16 in my pantry) and the diversity of greens available at the markets in the spring, beans and greens is a dish that never gets old.

I recently made my old stand-by dish with rapini and black olives, and it was great.

Rapini - also known as broccoli rabe - is a cancer-fighting green that is also good for the bones. It is a little bitter, so goes well with salty flavors and with beans.

Here's what I did the other night:

First I cooked 1/2 cup of my standby large white beans. They are grown locally and cook quickly in a large pot of boiling water - they're usually done in 90 minutes even without pre-soaking. I use a large pot of water because then it's unlikely to boil dry when I'm off wandering the garden. When they're cooked I drain them and set them aside until I need them. A 14-oz can of cannellini beans can be substituted if necessary.

Then I warmed 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, and added 3/4 cup chopped onion and a minced clove of garlic. While this was cooking, I washed a bunch of rapini and removed the largest stems, cutting the rest coarsely. I stirred this into the softened onions, sprinkled on a little salt and pepper, stirred well, and covered the pot to let it cook down for a few minutes. Then I added the white beans and 8 black olives that I had pitted and sliced. I let it cook a few more minutes until all was warmed through, and then served it in shallow bowls.

A delicious and healthy meal.