Halloween is upon us and I’m so excited! This is my families favorite holiday and we look forward to celebrating each and every year!
October is a very busy month in my household. Every weekend jam packed with all the favorite fall traditions; pumpkin farm, hayrides, Halloween movie marathons, bonfires and caramel apples. Let’s not forget about costume shopping for the kiddos and the main event of Trick or Treat!
Between the costume craze, spooky decorations, classic movies and candy overload, it’s nice to have a scary quick meal to prepare for your hungry little monsters.
This Spooky Halloween Pasta is a combination of our simple seven ingredient tomato sauce and a hearty and healthy black soybean spaghetti. The element that gives the dish it’s haunting Halloween vibe!
For this recipe I used Simply Nature organic black soybean spaghetti found at Aldi and I absolutely love it!
With 25 grams of plant based proteins, high in fiber and vitamin K, known to help enrich bone health, this pasta packs a punch.
Now, lets talk about the SAUCE!
Fresh, flavorful, simple to assemble and get on the table or in the lunchbox.
And the best thing about this sauce is you can make a big batch and store it in the fridge for up to 10 days! Just boil noodles, top with this sweet marinara and dinner is served.
TIPS!
I wanted to add a few helpful hints to make your experience in the kitchen easy and effortless! I have a few tips listed in the recipe that I use while cooking to ensure great flavor and a great meal.
Recipe Below:
Ingredients:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 box Simple Nature organic black soybean spaghetti
- 1 small Vidalia or sweet onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth or your favorite red wine
- 1 tablespoon Herb de Provance
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary and thyme chopped fine
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt & pepper
Instructions:
First step, prep your ingredients! Take the time before the cooking process begins to chop, dice and mince all the vegetables. Place them into separate bowls, or sections of your cooking board like I do. Then when you need them everything is prepped and ready to go!
Now, in a medium sauce pan add the olive oil and place on your stove top over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions and cook down until soft and translucent. Between 5-7 minutes, taking the time to stir and ensure even cooking.
[TIP: How can you tell if your pan is hot? WITHOUT TOUCHING the pan, hold your hand about 5 inches above the surface. If you can feel the heat on your palm then your pan is ready! And again… never touch a hot pan with your bare hand.]
Add quartered tomatoes to the pan and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes until the juices run and create a thin sauce.
[TIP: You could also use 1 whole vine ripe tomato diced for this recipe, I just always have cherry tomatoes on hand:)]
While that cooks, boil the water for the black soybean spaghetti noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
[TIP: I like to add that reserved cup of pasta water back to the noodles. This helps to prevent them from sticking later.]
Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes TOPS!
Slowly pour the chicken broth or red wine into the pan and let it reduce over medium-low heat.
[TIP: If you’re concerned about using the wine and serving this to your kiddos. please note that the alcohol will evaporate and all that will be left is rich FLAVOR!]
Simmer for about 4-6 minutes until the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency. Think if you dip a spoon in and the mixture coats and sticks to the surface you’ve got a sauce.
[ TIP: If you cook the sauce a bit too long and it thickens too much, just add 1/2 cup of water to thin it back out. ]
Last, add all the spices and simmer another 1-2 minutes before removing the pan from the heat.
Using an Immersion blender, mix until ingredients are evenly chopped and combined creating a smooth tomato sauce. Some like thicker sauces than others, so do what fits your family best!
[TIP: If you don’t own an immersion blender that’s OK! Just pour the sauce CAREFULLY into a stand blender and mix over low-medium speed, depending on the consistency you like.]
Finish with salt & pepper and top over those spooky black soybean spaghetti noodles!
Hope you Enjoy!
