After dinner disaster, Julia Child inspires redemption

This is a story about redemption. Redemption achieved by learning from mistakes.

This is also a story about spaghetti squash.

Many of the foods I cook at home eventually find their way into my writing. However, not every meal in our house is noteworthy.

Generally, when I am making a meal it is healthy, filling, and most generally, attractive. However, one evening I made a meal with none of those attributes, and it was utterly embarrassing.

I did not realize until later, but when I served this meal I was following Julia Child’s wise advice. Mortified as I was, I did not apologize, and boy oh boy, did I learn a few lessons.

It started with a brilliant idea for a luxurious pasta meal. But it flopped — completely and utterly. In my mind, we were going to dine on creamy carbonara with plump bits of smoked salmon. Sounds good, right? I was looking forward to the first creamy bites, until, somewhere between concept and delivery, the execution turned ugly.

To make a terribly embarrassing story shorter, I ruined a beautiful piece of home-smoked salmon by combining it with slimy, mushy, canned salmon. I hoped the rich creamy carbonara sauce I was going to bathe the noodles in would make up for the unappealing protein. It didn’t.

The sauce turned out watery and, thanks to the canned fish, an unappetizing pink color. Truth be told, the finished pasta looked more like something we had already eaten than something we had yet to taste. I was so ashamed I couldn’t even be bothered to clear the toys strewn across the table before setting out the plates.

That night, with the sting of shame still prickling, I picked up my current read, Julia Child’s “My Life in France.” In chapter 2, she tells the story of serving her friend, “the most vile eggs Florentine one could imagine,” She writes. “I made sure not to apologize for it. This was a rule of mine.”

The wit and wisdom of Julia Child was the salve I needed to see the dinner debacle for what it was: hilarious and educational. My attempt at spaghetti squash carbonara with smoked salmon was a disaster. We all did our best to stomach a small portion, but no one considered a second helping. For some now forgotten reason, I set my mind to embellish a dish I had never attempted in its most simple incarnation and I went wrong at nearly every turn.

With the disaster clearly in my rearview mirror I picked up another spaghetti squash. “This time,” I told myself, “keep it simple, sweetie.”

I was in the mood for lasagna but I wanted something healthier and with far fewer steps — and dirty dishes. With the spaghetti squash as a base, I sprinkled Italian sausage over a creamy Ricotta mixture and poured over homemade tomato sauce and more cheese.

Not only did this incarnation of an Italian pasta dish made with squash look good enough to eat, in the midst of his first bite, my husband Mike exuberantly declared, “You nailed it!”

Ah, redemption, sweet — or, in this case, savory — redemption. It sure does taste good.

Italian spaghetti squash bake

• 3-4 pounds spaghetti squash
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound Italian chicken sausage (may substitute any uncased Italian sausage)
• 15 ounces low­fat Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend ­ divided (may substitute part­skim mozzarella)
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups marinara sauce

A hearty, Italian inspired, casserole made light and simple with spaghetti squash in place of pasta. For the family who loves lasagna, this is an easy (healthy) weeknight alternative. Make this dish even easier by preparing some of the ingredients in advance (see note). Omit the sausage for an indulgent vegetarian side or main course.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and have a 3 quart or 9-by-13-inch casserole dish standing by.

Pierce the squash with a fork four to six times deep enough to allow steam to vent from the inside of the squash. Place the squash in the microwave on high heat for 12 minutes (see note). Handle the cooked squash with care — it will be extremely hot. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, split the skin from stem to end. Remove the seeds and thin membrane with a spoon. Use a spoon or fork to remove the meat of the squash, shredding it gently as you place it into a bowl. Toss the squash “noodles” with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Set aside.

While the squash is cooking, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Break the meat into crumbles as it cooks. It is finished when no pink remains and the largest crumbles have turned golden brown around the edges. Transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel lined dish and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the Ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/2 a cup of shredded cheese, egg, and nutmeg.

Once all the ingredients have been prepared: Scoop 6 cups of squash into an even layer in the bottom of the casserole dish. Dot with the Ricotta mixture and spread with a fork to cover the squash, then cover with an even layer of crumbled sausage. Finish with an even layer of marinara sauce. Cover tightly with foil before baking in the hot oven for 30 minutes (see note).

After 30 minutes the dish should be bubbling up around the edges. Remove the foil and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven to continue baking for 15 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Note: To reduce the amount of prep time on the day of cooking, squash and sausage may be prepared up to three days in advance.

Note: To prepare squash in the oven: Bisect and remove the seeds then place face down on a baking pan. Roast in a 425-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until the squash is tender and shreds easily.

Note: To serve in squash shells: After scooping out the squash reserve the shells. They should hold about half of the ingredients. Layer half of the ingredients into a smaller 8-by-8-inch baking dish then divide the remaining ingredients in to the squash shells. Place the shells in a second baking dish then cover both dishes with foil and bake as above.

Prep time: 30 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes.

Makes 8 servings, approximately 1 cup each.

Approximate nutrition: 257 calories, 12g fat, 850mg sodium, 20g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 7g sugar, 22g protein, 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus.

Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also at halfhersize.com. Email her at rose@halfhersize.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.