This is my mid-stride down my hallway on the way to the dinner table photo while thinking, “hmm, this actually looks pretty good. Perhaps I should take a photo for Whipped and share my first experience with spaghetti squash.”
Once again, my weekly organic produce delivery provided me with a new, healthy experience. One of the recipes provided with the fresh produce was for Spaghetti Squash with Pomodoro Sauce. I adjusted the recipe slightly based on what I had in the pantry and tossed in some chicken sausage for added protein.
Was it good? you may be wondering. Well, to the tell the truth, I would take carb-filled regular pasta any day. But, as a healthy alternative and a way to eat more veggies, this was pretty satisfying. And, the delightful experience of removing the squash once cooked was more fun than eating the dish. This stuff is like a shape-shifter in squash form. It looks like other squash… until you run your fork over the cooked flesh and the delicate strings of squash fall out. I don’t have any kids but I feel like if you let them “harvest” this squash out of the cooked shell, they may be so delighted they would be more likely to eat their veggies.
Spaghetti Squash with Pomodoro Sauce
1 spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2lbs)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 can diced plum tomatoes
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Fresh Basil
Parmesan or Asiago Cheese
A few links of sausage (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay halves, flesh side down, on the sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until you can easily pierce shell. While squash bakes, saute garlic and onion in oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except fresh basil and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Lower heat if sauce is boiling. Remove squash from oven and scrape crosswise to pull strands from shell. Place on plates and cover with sauce. Garnish with basil and shredded cheese.
Meat Option: Slice Italian or chicken sausage and saute in pan to heat. Top each dish with meat as well.