This is one of my favorite go-to cold weather recipes. The ratatouille "pasta" is spaghetti squash and I add roasted veggies and a very simple meatballs recipe tomato sauce. I added the meatballs recipe because it's a great addition for folks that eat meat and it is a quick and easy low-carb version of meatballs that goes well with spaghetti squash.
For the ratatouille I use a bundle of my favorite components: a few Roma tomatoes, a large eggplant, a large zucchini, and a large red onion. Sometimes I vary it and use zucchini, eggplant, and red pepper, and leave out the onion and tomatoes.
This ratatouille recipe is a modified version of my basic roasted ratatouille recipe in my cookbook, Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.
I can eat a bowl of ratatouille as a snack but I've created a full plate here, adding meatballs, sauce, and spaghetti pasta. I often toss in some goat cheese or Parmesan, but I'll leave that up to you.
Caramelized Ratatouille
You don't really want the vegetables wet, so use just enough oil and other ingredients to make the veggies shiny, with almost no liquid left over. Do coat all the veggies well by mixing the ingredients well with a spoon or spatula.A yellow onion will also work in place of a red onion.For SCD, use honey, and unless you know the balsamic vinegar has no added sugar, use red wine vinegar instead.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant trimmed and diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 large zucchini trimmed and diced
- 2 red peppers trimmed and diced
- 1 large red onion trimmed and diced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or sub with red wine vinegar)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450º (230°C, or gas mark 8).
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a spatula or spoon to blend.
- Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly browned.
Nutrition
Calories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 160mgPotassium: 712mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2309IUVitamin C: 99mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Simple Spaghetti Squash
To make it easier to cut the squash before baking you have two options. The first option is to prick it a few times with a fork or knife and microwave it at one minute intervals until it's easier to cut. The second option is to prick it with a fork or knife a few times and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until it's easy to cut.How you cut it is entirely up to you. If there's a stem, cut that off first. Next, you can slice it across the short way or the long way, or slice it a few times across the body of the squash to get rings. If you cut it into more than two pieces it will shorten the cooking time by five minutes.After it's cut, you can remove the seeds or wait until after the squash has baked. I tend to do it after because I find it easier to remove them, but either way works. I don't add any salt or oil to the inside or outside of the squash because it can soften the squash too much and I prefer to season it once I'm using it in a recipe.If you prefer you can replace the olive oil with some broth or a more substantial sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pound spaghetti squash
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half or in rings. See the recipes notes on help with slicing it.
- Scoop the seeds out, or leave them in and take them out once the squash is baked.
- Place each half open side facing down on the baking sheet. Pierce the outside of each half with a fork a few times to let moisture escape while baking. If you cut the squash into rings, place each ring on its side.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the squash out of the oven and turn it over to cool.
- Remove the seeds and use a fork to take out all the spaghetti squash.
- Add salt and other seasonings along with some olive oil (optional) or broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 27mgPotassium: 174mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Simple Meatballs & Sauce
Use your favorite marina sauce, or this 5-minute tomato sauce recipe. When I don't have time to cook it, I love this sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cups your favorite marinara sauce or tomato sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and blend well.
- Warm up the marina sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a steady simmer.
- Shape the meat mixture into small meatballs and place them in the saucepan.
- Simmer the meatballs until they are cooked, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 21gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1009mgPotassium: 712mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 530IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 4mg
Melissa says
This is amazing. So easy.
Erica says
So glad you like it! Yes, easy and delicious are a great combination.
Nancy McGuire says
According to Gottschall's book, those following the SCD diet are not allowed to use tomato paste. I have noticed you do include it in some of your recipes. Has the thinking on this changed?
Thanks.
Erica says
I haven't heard that, but I do know that some folks adhere to a strict guideline of no commercial or processed food, I think because of the concern over hidden ingredients. It's up to you, you'll have to make that call, and read labels.