With all of the cooking and baking I’ve been doing lately, I’ve been getting lots of creative inspirations.

This dish was inspired by a meal I had at a restaurant called Food for Thought in Williamsburg when Bill and I went there to celebrate our 4-year dating anniversary.

After roasting some spaghetti squash the other day, I wanted to find a way to use it in a recipe along with a bunch of the veggies I had in my fridge and on my counter.

Inspired by my first spaghetti squash experience, I threw this dish together.

This meal is even better on the second and third days as the flavors kind of marinate together in the fridge. If you don’t have one of the veggies listed below, just try it with another one that you do have! Make it your own and have some fun with it 🙂

After all, cooking is meant to be fun!

**Also, it’s worth mentioning (as reassurance!) that almost half of the ingredients below are common herbs and spices, so the list may look “longer” but make note of how simple the ingredients are (you might already have all of them on hand!).**

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded (here’s how)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or grass-fed butter or ghee if not vegan)
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (look for a BPA-free can or tetra pack)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (use chopped walnuts or almonds if you don’t have pine nuts)

Directions

1. Roast one spaghetti squash in the oven following these simple steps. Save the spaghetti squash shell for serving (optional but it looks cool!).
2. In a large skillet, saute onions on medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter or ghee if not vegan) until they begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute another minute or two.
3. Add broccoli and cook 2 minutes.
4. Add water and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 3-5 minutes.
5. Add oregano, basil, sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper and cook uncovered 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender but still bright green.
6. Add cannellini beans and spaghetti squash strands to pan and toss until heated through. Remove pan from heat.
7. Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts in the toaster oven being careful not to burn them.
8. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over squash mixture and top with pine nuts.

Looking for other spaghetti squash recipes? Try one of these below!

1. Spaghetti Squash with Kale & Chickpeas
2. Spaghetti Squash with Cranberries & Sunflower Seeds
3. Cheezy Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Vegan)