I was not really thinking about putting this dish on my blog. When I came up with the recipe, it was really all about the textures and look in my mind. And eventually it turned out to be a very flavorful dish. When my husband came home in the evening, tasted it, and I heard “hmmmmm it is very interesting and yummy”, I knew I had to share it with you. Bear in mind, he is not vegan. Not even vegetarian… Also the dish is very easy to make, so I thought to share.

This dish is all about the fall produce available at the moment at the market.It also has a very classic combination of mushrooms, hazelnuts, cream, brussels sprouts. So good togeher.  The “spaghetti” of the dish is simply roasted spaghetti squash. The cashew Alfredo sauce made richer with the umami flavor of sautéed mushrooms. Quickly blanched brussels leaves and toasted hazelnut to finish off the dish. I used those fall colors of the marigold petals, not only to make the dish look prettier, but the petals’ peppery flavor goes so well with the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 6 cloves of garlic
• fresh rosemary strings
• salt, black pepper, olive oil for roasting the squash
• 1/2 cup soaked cashew
• almond milk (just as much to get a sauce consistency
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 minced garlic bulbs
• salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice to taste
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of a mix of chopped parsley and chive
• brussels sprouts taken into leaves
• 1 tablespoon toasted hazelnuts
• 1 marigold flower
• some micro greens

Instructions:

1. Cut one medium size spaghetti squash in half. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt, ground black pepper and put one rosemary string and 3 garlic cloves in each halves. Put on a baking tray and bake at 420F for about 40 minutes.
2. Check with a fork and if the spaghetti strands fall off easily, it is done. Carefully scrape out the spaghettis 🙂  with the fork, set aside to cool.
3. In the meantime in a blender blend  1/2 cup of soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, minced garlic with enough almond milk to get the texture of sauce.
4. Add the sautéed mushrooms and chopped herbs, blend together.
5. Season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Blend together.
6. Blanch the brussels sprouts leaves in rapidly boiling, very salty water for 1 minute. Quickly drain and drop in ice water, to stop cooking and retain color.
7. Plate spaghetti squash and drizzle with the sauce, top with brussels leaves, chopped hazelnut, marigold leaves and some micro herbs.

ENJOY!!!