MAG CLUB HALL OF FAME: Southwestern Artichoke Dip; Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad; Caprese Salad; Chocolate Bottomed Blondies
It’s no secret that Jordana is, er, the weak link of Mag Club cooking. It’s never cause for complaint though, since her contribution usually involves take-out sesame noodles from the restaurant on the ground floor of her building. It also often times means booze. The Jordana recipe we’ve featured in the past was homemade Sangria from this Cinco de Mayo gathering in the first year of Mag Club’s inception.
But there was one Mag Club, about a year ago I’d say, when Jordana served us an unprecedented homemade dish. And of the three years’ worth of dishes we’ve consumed, it was one of the more memorable. It was delicious, of course, but the dish sticks with me because a) it was cooked by Jordana, and b) it was spaghetti squash, something that, at the time, I had never cooked myself.
Last year, Cara put together this guide to gourds, and it actually inspired me to stop being such a pansy about different kinds of squash. Butternuts always seemed more appealing than the other winter squash at the farmers’ market, even if it is by far the most annoying to cook. Since, I’ve tried my hand at nearly all of them.
Real spaghetti presents some issues for my gluten-free lifestyle, and unfortunately, Josh is getting a little sick of the fake stuff. So I recently started thinking about Jordana’s spaghetti squash—topped with tomato sauce and ricotta like real spaghetti—as my new solution to pasta cravings.
If it was easy enough for her to approach, then it also just might be the ultimate side dish for this site. I emailed her for the recipe, and received in return a rather hilarious interpretation, including gem-like tips “I put the damn thing in the oven with some holes poked in it,” and “watery spaghetti squash is nasty!!”
With Jordana’s guidance, to use a “pyrex glassy thingy” and other instructions, the squash turned out perfect, and just as good as a weeknight veggie meal alone as it was shared with our group of besties.
From my kitchen, taking cooking lessons from Jordana (yikes!!), to yours,
Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK
**Recipe**
Jordana’s Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomato and Ricotta
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup tomato sauce
½ cup ricotta
Preheat the oven 375°F.
Place the spaghetti squash on a baking sheet. Pierce it on all sides with a knife. Bake in the oven for about an hour, or until easily pieced with a knife.
Allow to cool enough to touch. Then cut the squash in half and spoon out the seeds and pulp. Using a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash, separating the strands as you go. It should yield about 2-4 cups.
Place the spaghetti squash in a bundle of dish towels (or a kitchen towel), and squeeze out some of the moisture (as Jor says, no one likes soggy spaghetti!!). Place in a mixing bowl, then toss together with the salt and tomato sauce. Add half of the ricotta and gently toss until the ricotta is just slightly broken up but not totally incorporated. Pour the squash into a small casserole dish or oven-safe bowl, dot with the remaining ricotta, and bake under the broiler until browned on top, about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately, or allow to cool, pack up, and take to your next potluck. Reheat in the oven on site.
