Cooking is a learning experience. This sounds obvious, but the trial and error in the kitchen is especially important if you are a vegetarian. I've never been satisfied eating the same things over and over. It's easy for us to get into that rut of buying the same foods every time we go to the grocery store. In fall, my rut is squash. I could end up eating it for every meal. 

I decided to change it up a bit by making something with all of this squash I had on my hands. I had a recipe for a spaghetti squash gratin from awhile back, so I decided to tweak it and then change it into a lasagna. If I had to go back in time, I would'nt have layered the ingredients and would have stuck with the gratin. Plus, the bread crumbs I added on top really were'nt necessary, so I left them out. Here's the revised recipe: 

Spaghetti Squash, Swiss Chard and White Bean Gratin

1 spaghetti squash, cooked and skin removed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 yellow onion
1 bunch swiss chard, destemmed and sliced into 1" pieces
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 tsp garlic
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese 
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup pasta sauce (optional)

1. Dice onion and saute in olive oil. Once onions are browned, mix them with the white beans, ricotta and cottage cheese, egg and garlic in a large bowl.
2. In a separate pan, saute swiss chard until slightly wilted. Then, add to cheese mixture. When I made this, I used the swiss chard as a separate layer on top, but I wasn't a huge fan. 
3. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Then, pour mixture into a sprayed 8X8 pan. 
4. I added tomato sauce to mine, but you could also wait and add some on the side. You can add a layer of sauce on the top of your mixture. 
5. Top with mozzarella cheese, and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Then, broil for 3-5 minutes at 500 degrees. 

When this concotion comes out of the oven and you cut into it, do not be alarmed! The swiss chard will make everything a little purple. Also, there's a lot of liquid in this mixture, but it will settle upon standing. The best thing about this recipe is that you can sub in another vegetable you like. Zucchini would make a perfect addition. 

–Marly Schuman