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27
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Passover Prep: Sweet Spaghetti Squash Kugel with Apples and Raisins |
How a little less controversy for a change?
Nope, not gonna happen today.
We Jews, we like to make a fuss. Ask any one of us for a recipe for kugel is and you are bound to get as many answers as there are purses in my closet (according to my husband, too many.) The best general description I can give you is that kugel is a baked pudding of sorts, not that that helps very much. A kugel can be sweet or savory. It can made with noodles, or potatoes, or even other vegetables like zucchini or carrots. Some kugels contain creamy ricotta cheese and sour cream and are most often served for brunch, and others are purposely dairy-free to be served with holiday dinners (since the laws of kashrut, or “keeping kosher”, call for separation of dairy and meat.)
In my family, when we say kugel, we are talking about a sweet kugel made with noodles (or matzoh, during Passover), eggs, sugar, apples, cinnamon and raisins. Even thought it’s a sweet kugel, we gobble it up alongside our brisket or turkey dinner, although the leftovers are eagerly enjoyed for breakfast or dessert the next day. It’s totally versatile like that. We do acknowledge other kugels, but we’d specify them as potato kugel, or zucchini kugel, etc, whereas this sugary apple-filled concoction is simply our “kugel.”
I’d like to think that the definition of kugel was intentionally left vague so that we could feel free to create our own. So for Passover and year-round, I decided to lighten up my family’s traditional kugel by using spaghetti squash. No one can tell me that kugel can’t have spaghetti squash, because there are no rules. I also left out the gluten and refined sugar. I’m glad there aren’t any rules on that either!
So you know how I was saying that every family has a different kugel? In Ben’s family, it was potato kugel. For a long time, he “hated” our family’s sweet kugel served with dinner. Use of quotations, because I still watched him eat it every year (it’s no surprise to me that he couldn’t resist) until he started to concede, “I guess it’s not that bad.”
And as for this kugel? He said it was the best he ever had.
Sweet Spaghetti Squash Kugel with Apples and Raisins
Yield: 9 servings
A sweet apple-raisin kugel that is light enough to enjoy with any meal, or on its own as a breakfast or snack. Gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked spaghetti squash
3 eggs
1/2 cup (85gm) coconut sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup raisinsDirections:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8x8" baking dish with cooking spray, or lightly grease with melted coconut oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Add spaghetti squash and toss to coat. Mix in apples and raisins. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and set. Cool before slicing.
Nutrition Facts:
Amount Per Serving
Calories 124.6
Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Cholesterol 61.7 mg
Sodium 57.8 mg
Potassium 206.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.3 g
Dietary Fiber 2.7 g
Sugars 17.1 g
Protein 2.8 gCara Lyons, www.carascravings.com
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SaveThis post is linked to Real Food Digest | Real Food Holidays – Passover
I'm Cara, lover of creative, clean food and healthy living. Pumpkin, goat cheese, and eggplant make me swoon. I have an insatiable sweet tooth and desire to lift heavy things. 
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Dawn — March 27, 2012 @ 6:55 am
I love when we make veggies into a dessert. I once had a cabbage dessert but I can’t seem to find the recipe. Can’t wait to try this!
Lauren @ Healthy Food For Living — March 27, 2012 @ 7:31 am
Yay for kugel! I LOVE the classic Jewish dish, and this spaghetti squash version is brilliant.
janet @ the taste space — March 27, 2012 @ 7:41 am
I love that you subbed the spaghetti squash for the noodles. Brilliant idea, Cara!
Kate — March 27, 2012 @ 11:25 am
I always feel like kugel just connotes a casserole dish.
Shannon — March 27, 2012 @ 3:25 pm
don’t know that I’ve ever had kugel… this one i’ll be sure to try though
Joanne — March 27, 2012 @ 9:06 pm
I’ve been DYING to make a kugel…because it’s basically bread pudding but with PASTA instead of bread. But they’re all so heavy that I can’t fathom eating a whole batch all by my lonesome…my thighs just won’t have it! But this…this they can take. LOVE.
Emily @ A Cambridge Story — March 28, 2012 @ 9:13 am
What a unique twist on Kugel. I have a Kugel recipe in the works as well
Ricki — March 28, 2012 @ 10:12 pm
So brilliant! And don’t forget that it’s GRAIN-free, too! I’m passing this along to my friend who’s hosting a seder this year–thanks!
Kim-Cook It Allergy Free — March 29, 2012 @ 1:47 pm
Okay! So totally brilliant to use spaghetti squash! I am going to make this for sure!! Such a great recipe…
Alta — March 29, 2012 @ 2:52 pm
Most of the kugels I’ve seen I can’t quite get my head around – for some reason, sweet+pasta seems weird to me. Guess it’s just because I didn’t grow up with it. But spaghetti squash and sweet sounds perfectly normal! I love the idea of this dish. Yum!
Lisa @ Real Food Digest — March 30, 2012 @ 1:31 am
Hi Cara,
I was having problems contacting you through your contact form. I host a “Real Food Holidays” blog carnival before each major Jewish holiday and would love for you to link to this – it’s such a great pesach recipe!
http://www.realfooddigest.com/real-food-holidays-blog-carnival-passover-2012/
grace — March 30, 2012 @ 3:41 pm
this is practically a dessert and i love it!
Chaya — April 1, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
I am excited about this kugel. I just printed it and plan to make it on Passover. I just told my husband, we had to have spaghetti squash for the holiday but I had not thought kugel. This is just wonderful. Thanks.
Dan — April 2, 2012 @ 2:01 pm
This is the second Passover food item I’ve seen using spaghetti squash, and it’s brilliant! What a great idea. I so, so dislike using matza meal and fake pasta noodles.
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Jenn @LeftoverQueen — April 5, 2012 @ 2:54 pm
Wow, that looks so good! I love the sweet with a veg I normally think of as savory (spaghetti squash).
d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo — April 5, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
Help! What is coconut sugar? Can I sub for vanilla sugar??
Cara — April 6, 2012 @ 9:40 am
Coconut sugar is an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconut. Because it is unrefined it retains a lot more nutrients than typical cane sugar, but it has about the same level of sweetness. You could sub any granulated sugar like regular white sugar, brown sugar, or succanat or maple sugar for cleaner options if you like.
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Marci — April 6, 2012 @ 12:43 pm
Fantastic recipe!!! I made this today & substituted the coconut sugar with 1/4 cup xylitol & 3 dropperfuls of stevia. It was DELICIOUS!! Plenty sweet & lower carbs.
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Abby — April 4, 2013 @ 11:25 pm
I just made this and love the taste, but for some reason the texture was not how it should be. It was very watery on bottom. Any ideas how to prevent this?
Cara — April 5, 2013 @ 5:19 am
Hey Abby, the only thing I can think of is that perhaps your squash or apples were particularly watery. Maybe making sure the squash is well drained would help?