Ingredients:
4 Large tomatoes (beefsteak or campari)
1 Butternut squash
1 Spaghetti squash
1 Bell pepper
2 Zucchini
2 Slices of pumpernickel bread (sourdough works well too)
1 Lemon / lime
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Oregano
Salt
Crushed red pepper
Black pepper
Optional:
1 glass of apple cider
2 cubes of butter
Several basil leaves
Rosemary
4 Large tomatoes (beefsteak or campari)
1 Butternut squash
1 Spaghetti squash
1 Bell pepper
2 Zucchini
2 Slices of pumpernickel bread (sourdough works well too)
1 Lemon / lime
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Oregano
Salt
Crushed red pepper
Black pepper
Optional:
1 glass of apple cider
2 cubes of butter
Several basil leaves
Rosemary
Total cooking time:
3 hrs
Recipe:
3 hrs
Recipe:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Slice spaghetti squash and butternut squash in half lengthwise and poke the closed sides with a fork (will help release steam in baking process), remove the seeds and reserve them for later
- Rub the open halves liberally with EVOO, sprinkle salt, oregano, black pepper and some crushed red pepper
- (Optional) if you have rosemary sprigs, feel free to let them rest on the open sides of the squashes
- Place the open halves face down on the baking trays and bake the butternut squash for 25 - 30 minutes and the spaghetti squash for 30 - 40 minutes (or until both are soft enough to poke with a fork)
- While squashes are baking, slice tomato tops off and reserve for later, core the tomato and de-seed it leaving empty tomato shell
- Dice bell pepper and 1 zucchini, save any scraps, sauté with EVOO, herbs and salt / pepper, and leave to the side
- Use a mandolin and create long thin ribbons with the remaining zucchini, save any scraps
- Place the scraps in a pot of boiling water to make a broth, use any herbs and spices with a splash of EVOO and lemon / lime juice (consistency should be similar to pasta water)
- Once the squashes are done, remove from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them with your hands but are still relatively warm
- Using a spoon scoop the butternut squash out from its body and make sure not to get any skin
- Using a fork scrape the spaghetti squash and capture the long spaghetti like strands
- Take the chunks of roasted butternut squash and place in blender set to purée
- Add homemade broth to loosen while blending, should be similar consistency to a sauce or chowder soup, add additional salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper to taste if needed
- Stuff tomatoes with a light base of the butternut squash sauce and then fill with baked spaghetti squash and sautéed bell pepper and zucchini, lightly top off with sauce and cover with reserved tomato tops
- Place stuffed tomatoes into a sauté pan and pour the sauce into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the tomatoes, and heat over the lowest possible heat just until the sauce steams and occasionally bubbles
- Cook, spooning the sauce over the tomatoes every few minutes until the tomatoes are very tender but not falling apart, 1 - 1.5 hours
- At the end of this time the sauce should be extra thick and rich and the tomatoes should soak up the sweet and savory flavor of the sauce
- Optional: In the meantime, brown some butter in a sauté pan, once caramel color add some splashes of apple cider and basil leaves and place your zucchini ribbons, cook until the zucchini soaks up the sweet buttery flavors
- Take your bread and dice into crouton shapes and place both bread and seeds onto a baking tray, place into the oven or toaster oven until toasted and crunchy
- After the tomatoes are fully cooked, plate by taking the remaining sauce and making a small circle on the bottom of your plate, place the cooked stuffed tomato on top, remove its top / cover and place your zucchini ribbons above the stuffing, cover back partly with the tomato top, spread the toasted croutons and seeds around the base of the tomato