Spinach and Feta Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Since I knew I’d be buying feta for Thursday night’s meal (I intended to make these bowls again, per my beau’s request) I wanted to include the cheese in Monday night’s supper so it wouldn’t go to waste. And who is feta’s best friend? Spinach, that’s who. I started searching for spinach and feta spaghetti squash recipes because that’s just where my mind was headed. I found this one and adapted it ever so slightly.

*Before baking (with and without crust)*

Start by cooking up a spaghetti squash. Poke holes in it and microwave on high for 5 minutes so you can cut it in half lengthwise. Then Scoop out the seeds, add some salt and pepper, and roast at 375 for 40 minutes. While it’s roasting, sauté one onion (or a couple shallots, that would be nice, I bet) in olive oil until they’re translucent. Then add two cloves of minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Then add a boatload of fresh spinach. Does it look like too much? Add more. You should know by now that this’ll wilt down to nothing. (Note: The original recipe blanches the spinach and then does an ice bath and that just felt like…a lot of work. So I didn’t do any of that and thought it was great.) Add dried oregano and ground nutmeg and let it go until the spinach has fully cooked down. Let the spinach mixture cool a bit, then turn it out onto a cutting board so you can chop it up. Place it into a mixing bowl, add chopped parsley and crumbled feta. (The original also adds scallions, which I did, but don’t think they’re really necessary, IMO.) When it’s done, scrape the squash into spaghetti-like strands, add it to the bowl, and mix it all together. Pour the mixture into small baking dish and top with panko + a few bits of butter (so that panko browns). Bake in a 350 oven until the top looks all nice.

I’m normally all about eating spaghetti squash in their squash boats, but I really liked turning this into a true casserole with a light crust. And that nutmeg! Way back in high school I learned that nutmeg and spinach go well together, but including it here really gave it some Thanksgiving feels. It warmed up the dish and took it into fall territory, where yellow squashes and feta normally feel more summery to me.