Veggie Spageggi & Potato Skins

 If spaghetti rhymed with veggie, that would be most convenient...but it doesn't, so you just have to make it work. Pronounced veggie spa-jej-ie, (yes I did make that word up) it's one of the best ways to use up leftover/odds & ends vegetables- just add them to your spaghetti sauce!

Let's begin. Remember the other half of the butternut squash that I didn't use for the Chickpea, Spinach and Squash pasta? I grated it up to go in the sauce. If you like a chunky sauce you could dice it up, but today I was feeling smooth! Cooking the veggies slowly over low heat causes them to virtually "melt" into the sauce.

Kinda looks like cheddar cheese! Add it to the pan with some garlic and olive oil. Next, remember those peppers and onions leftover from the phillies? Chop them up and into the pan they go:

You should have something that looks like this:

I let these veggies cook down for a while, then added the spinach I didn't use in the pasta dish earlier this week:.

Then add a jar of spaghetti sauce. Depending on how much you're making, you can always add more or less. Make sure to check the sodium and sugar content of the sauce you're buying! I also tossed in some leftover chickpeas:

Finally, I added a couple of fresh tomatoes that weren't going to last until we got back from vacation:

Let the sauce simmer for a 1/2 hour or so. The veggies will become tender and mix with the sauce and the chickpeas will soften as well. Cook up some spaghetti, top with sauce and serve!

Next, I cooked up the green beans I had left from the farmer's market. If you have extra tomatoes, toss those in with the green beans and drizzle with Italian dressing. This is THE BEST way to eat green beans. Tonight, however, I got myself all pumped for them, then realized I didn't have any Italian dressing. MAJOR BUMMER.  Oh well.  I ate them plain and guess what? Still good :)

I also had some red potatoes that needed to be used up. Solution? Potato skins...much to my hubby's delight!

Wash the potatoes and toss them into a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until soft

While they are cooking, cook some bacon (turkey bacon, duh!) and crumble:

I had some broccoli that needed to get used up, so I thought I'd throw a few trees on the skins (much to my hubby's disappointment). Chop up some tiny trees, drop into boiling water for 30 seconds or so, then run under cold water- this will keep them nice and green and pretty :)

When the potatoes are done, cut them in half and scoop out the middles:

Top with cheese, bacon and broccoli (compromise was to only put it on some of them):

Back into the oven they go to melt the cheese. Remove and serve!

Enjoy!
--Lindsay--