I love volunteers in my garden!  In this case I mean plant volunteers, but human volunteers are always welcome!

The volunteer I am referring to was a spaghetti squash.  I only planted butternut squash this year, but a variety of squashes grew in both the garden and the compost pile, babies from last years crop.

Last year I made a nice side dish, spaghetti squash with honey and feta.  This dish is related to that one, but uses the squghetti squash as the featured item in the main dish.  It is an adaptation of the Smitten Kitchen’s Moroccan-spiced spaghetti squash, using some of her suggestions and some of my own.

To be honest, when I first made it and tasted the spiced spaghetti squash alone, I wasn’t sure about it, it didn’t seem all that flavorful.  But once all the ingredients were added together, it was a treat to eat and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas, Sauteed Greens, Feta and Couscous

1 (3.5-4 lb) spaghetti squash (from the garden)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced (from the garden)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/8 tsp cayenne

3/4 tsp salt

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp olive oil

10 oz greens (I used a mix of spinach and kale)

4 oz feta, crumbled

1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Remove and discard the seeds. Place face-down on an oiled baking pan or sheet.  Cook for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is just golden.  Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.

Cook the couscous according to package directions.  Fluff with a fork.

Scrape the spaghetti squash pulp into a large bowl, separating the strands as they are removed.

If there is a lot of moisture in the bottom of the bowl, place the spaghetti qhash in a colander to drain some of it off.  Then, toss with the spiced butter and the chickpeas.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the greens and a dash of salt and saute til just wilted (only a minute or 2).  Remove from heat.

For each serving, place couscous in the bottom of a shallow bowl or on a plate.  Top with 1/4 of the greens and 1/4 of the spaghetti squash mixture.  Pass the feta for  people to add at their place.  Enjoy!

Serves 4.