It’s 10 AM. I’ve finished my morning snack and have taken to dreaming about food. Ahhhh, food! But, it’s not sweets that have me swooning. It’s the radically delicious roasted spaghetti squash and homemade organic marinara Jeff made last Friday that’s making my mouth water. It sounds crazy that of all the foods that could fill a gal’s thoughts, vegetables are what’s gripping my attention.
(After a few more minutes of daydreaming about this meal and the dreamy man who cooked it, I’m back.)
The sauce was boss, coming from a Jersey girl with an Italian grandmother. Okay, she was only half-Italian and largely raised in foster homes of unknown ethnic origin, but to anyone who knew her she was pure I-talian! She might be rolling in her grave, but Jeff’s sauce was the best I’ve ever tasted. Neither boring nor overpowering, it’s just perfect to make any Italian classic a homerun.
While the sauce was the feature, the squash endeared itself to my taste buds. The sheer health of it delighted us both, while not detracting from this comfort food classic. I attempted spaghetti squash once in college, but denied it a second date. I wasn’t ready; my diet largely consisted of beer, bagels, pizza, and grilled cheese. Now that I pass for an adult most days, spaghetti squash = awesome!
One final reason this meal lights up my heart is unabashed sentimentality. Italian food on Fridays reminds me of my childhood. My working mother pleaded for my father to lighten her load by handling one dinner per week. He chose Friday and ordered pizza every week. She was thrilled just not to be cooking. I am lucky to have a husband who cooks more (and better) than I and never orders takeout when it’s his turn. This meal and its timing reminds me just how lucky I am through it all – for pizza Fridays as a kid and veggie-filled Italian nights as an adult.
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