Everyone loves spaghetti. Luckily there are so many amazing substitutes to the white starchy noodles that are just turned into sugar in your body that causes inflammation, that most people eat. There are so many different types of substitutes for pasta. Beyond the grain noodles like spelt, whole wheat, kamut, buckwheat, and quinoa (vegan macaroni with quinoa post is soon to come) -are all excellent substitutes for white pasta, but there is a whole other world of “noodles” out there. There are kelp noodles (from seaweed), black bean noodles, zucchini, yellow squash, or spaghetti squash! Plus a ton more I cant think of right now. There are so many options out there that so many people never experiment with, because they don’t know it exists! you almost always cover your pasta in some sauce or spread, so why not just use something that is very very close to that white pasta consistency or look and still have that “italian” dish. You save the empty white carbohydrates, and pack in more protein, fiber, B-vitamins, and so much more nutrients.
First I made spaghetti with zuchini noodles and a homemade raw tomatoe sauce.
Spiralize zucchini, squash, or other veggies in the spiralizer from Amazon.
For the raw tomato sauce I threw in a very large ripe tomato, 3 small garlic cloves, and fresh basil from the farmers market. I added nutritional yeast, ground pepper and a little salt, some sun dried tomatoes, 1 large carrot, and some water to thin! I didn’t measure anything and just used what I had, it turned out great!
I sprinkled some dried oregano, basil, and ground pepper on top
…Topped with some shredded slices of soy vegan cheese!
Spaghetti Noodles # 2 …topped with fresh pesto!
This basil is from the FM, but my parents just brought me a potted basil plant to keep in my backyard! Although I am a little worried that someone may knock it over on accident..For the pesto I used about 3 large handfuls of basil, 4 garlic cloves (I like it really garlicy), some parsley I had leftover from the farmers market, ground salt + pepper, 2 scoops of nutritional yeast, around 12 soaked almonds, and about 1/3 cup of EV olive oil. Then some water to thin if necessary. I just vitamix it, then taste to see what needs to be added.
This time I used spaghetti squash that I got from the student garden at Smithfield!
-Sidenote: almost every time I go to the Sustainable Food Corps meeting, someone brings a box of produce from the garden that they insist we take. I never refuse (: This tomato was like 3 pounds, and the eggplant was tiny. So cute.
Spaghetti squash is so so awesome because it is very mild and a tiny bit sweet, so it is good topped with anything.
Save the seeds for roasting, they have an amazing nutty flavor.
I’ve made pesto so much since being back at school. It is super easy and convenient with all the fresh basil, and I keep it in the fridge for several days to use with other types of “noodles” or just a bunch of random veggies I have, or even over a spinach salad.
Spaghetti squash nutritional benefits: It should be said that compared to butternut and acorn, spaghetti squash is not as dense in vitamins and minerals, especially beta carotene. It is however still smart to substitute for pasta, besides the obvious of eating a vegetable over a white flour. The carb count for these are low, especially compared to other “starchy” veggies. (Not the same type of starch in white flour) There is however significant amount of vitamin A, C, B3, and B6. These B vitamins help convert the carbs in the squash to energy in your body!
RealFoodJoy 
