Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Bowls

October knocking. The days are equal again — twelve hours of light, twelve of dark, the fall equinox mirror of the spring one. From here, the dark wins. I know this. My body knows this. But this year, the knowing is preparation, not panic. I have the light box. I have the vitamin D. I have the therapist. I have the medication. I have the kitchen. I have the blog. I have an army of coping mechanisms lined up like lumpia on a sheet pan, ready to fry.

The ER hosted a fall wellness check for staff — a yearly thing, mandatory, where an occupational health psychologist asks vague questions about stress and burnout and everyone says "I'm fine" and goes back to work. I said "I'm fine" and meant it more than most. I also said, quietly, to the psychologist: "I have PTSD. I'm in treatment. I manage it." She looked at me with the specific expression of someone who hears "I'm fine" all day and has just heard the truth. She said, "Thank you for telling me." I said, "Thank you for asking in a way that made it possible."

I made ginataang hipon — shrimp in coconut milk — to bring to the ER potluck this week. The dish is simple: shrimp sauteed with garlic and ginger, then simmered in coconut milk with green chili peppers and squash. The coconut milk goes from watery to thick, enveloping the shrimp in a creamy, spicy sauce. It's the kind of dish that looks complicated and takes thirty minutes, which is the sweet spot for ER cooking — impressive enough to warrant comments, fast enough to fit in a day off.

The potluck was good. The shrimp was the first thing gone. Danielle — the new nurse who tried kare-kare and had never had Filipino food — brought her own attempt at adobo. "I used your blog recipe," she said. The adobo was... fine. It was light on vinegar and heavy on soy sauce and the chicken was a little tough, but it was adobo, made by a non-Filipino in an Anchorage apartment using my blog, and it existed because I wrote about my mother's food and someone else went home and cooked it. The chain of feeding extends. The recipes travel. Lourdes's adobo in Danielle's kitchen. That's the blog working. That's the whole point.

The ginataang hipon was gone within the first ten minutes of the potluck, which meant I spent the rest of the evening talking instead of hovering near the food table—a good problem to have. Squash was already on my mind from that batch of shrimp, and when I got home I wanted something that kept that same energy: a bowl-style dish that roasts while you rest, comes together fast, and holds up well enough to bring to a crowd. These Mediterranean spaghetti squash bowls hit every one of those marks, and they’re the kind of recipe I know someone like Danielle could actually pull off on a first try.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 40—45 minutes, until the flesh is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Shred the squash. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes, then flip cut-side up. Use a fork to scrape the flesh into spaghetti-like strands, leaving a 1/2-inch border so the shells hold their shape. Set the shells aside as serving bowls.
Saute the vegetables. While the squash roasts, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 3—4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the artichoke hearts, olives, oregano, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
Wilt the spinach. Add the baby spinach to the skillet and cook for 1—2 minutes, stirring, until just wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the spaghetti squash strands among the four squash shells. Top evenly with the Mediterranean vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and fresh parsley. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Bowls — The Dish That Travels