Balsamic Roasted Beet Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Crispy Yam Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 Large Spaghetti Squash

• 1 Large Yam

• 1 White Onion

• 4-6 Cloves of Garlic

• Fresh Parsley

• 4 Medium-Large Beets

• 3 Carrots

• 3/4 Cup Ricotta 

• 1/2 Block of Cream Cheese

• 1/3 Cup Shredded Parmesan

• 2 Eggs

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

• Balsamic Glaze

• Fresh or Dried Rosemary

• Sea Salt

• Pepper

• Optional: Blackberries, 3-4 Slices Thick Cut Bacon

Instructions

Total Cook & Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes Appx: 2-4 Servings (depending on size of spaghetti squash)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

   Optional: preheat BBQ to cook the spaghetti squash.

2. Slice off each end of the spaghetti squash and then cut in half lengthwise.

3. Lay the squash face down (flat side) on a rimmed baking sheet. Add water to the bottom of the pan until it covers the entire sheet with ½ inch of water. Place entire baking sheet in the oven once preheated.

   Note: To BBQ - lightly coat the inside and outside of the squash with olive oil and place round side down on the grill. Flip after about 20 minutes. 

4. Peel and dice: beets, carrots, and white onion and mince garlic.

   Note: if you do not have a food processor/chopper, I recommend chopping the vegetables into smaller pieces.  

5. Lay the vegetables on a lined or greased baking sheet/casserole dish. 

   Optional: add 5-6 blackberries to the pan.

6. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tbsp of olive oil, and generously coat with balsamic glaze. Add fresh or dried rosemary and cracked sea salt to the pan. 

   Optional: add four slices of thick cut bacon on one side of the baking sheet next to the vegetables, flipping the bacon after appx 20 minutes.

7. Place vegetables in the oven on a separate rack form the spaghetti squash.

8. Both the squash and the vegetables will take approximately 45-50 minutes to bake. 

9. Place the shredder blade on your food processor, or use a potato ricer, or cheese grater to shred yam - yielding about 3 cups of shredded yam. 

10. Add shredded yam, 2 eggs, and most of your shredded parmesan to the bowl. Finely mince parsley and add to the bowl. 

11. Combine with a mixing spoon. 

12. Place a large frying pan on medium high heat with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil.

13. Gently form a small handful of yam mixture into a patty and place 4-6 patties on the hot pan at a time. Reduce heat slightly, cover with a lid and allow them to cook appx 6 minutes before flipping and cooking for an additional 4-6 minutes. Outsides should be crispy.

14. While patties are cooking, add cream cheese, ricotta, the rest of your parmesan, more rosemary, and salt and pepper to a mixing bowl or food processor.

    Note: Another option is to add these ingredients to a saucepan on the stovetop, slowly heating the mixture while whisking. Reduce to low heat once combined to keep warm.

15. Remove spaghetti squash from heat and allow to cool for several minutes before handling.

16. Remove vegetable tray from heat and transfer contents into a chopper or processor to create a “salsa like” rough chop texture. 

17. Use a fork to scrape seeds out of the middle of the spaghetti squash and remove. Then using a fork, gently pull the squash (from the outer shell inwards) and it will start to resemble angel hair type pasta. You can leave the “noodles” inside the shell for a more unique presentation or scoop onto a plate or bowl. 

18. Add layer of creamy rosemary sauce to the squash, followed by the balsamic beet salsa, top with the yam cakes, and then drizzle more cream sauce on top.

19. Note: If you cooked bacon, chop into bacon bits and garnish the top of the bowl. POUR WINE & ENJOY.