This is an old post that I never quite finished, it just sat there in my drafts folder for months on end. I decided to tweak it a bit, add some not so nice photos from an old camera and give this dish the attention it deserves. It was quite a hit in our home as the family love the old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs, but this was a much healthier version and it went down a treat!
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash (4 cups cooked)
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup skim ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped basil
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and membrane. Season lightly with salt and black pepper, bake about 1 hour, or longer if needed on a baking sheet, cut side down. If you prefer to microwave (like I did above), place in a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave 8-9 minutes until soft.
For the sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 oz. Italian chicken sausage
- 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- salt and fresh pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped basil
In a large deep saute pan, heat oil and add onions and garlic; saute on medium-low for about 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces until browned and cooked through. When cooked, add the crushed tomatoes and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add the bay leaf and cover, reducing heat to low. Simmer 20-30 minutes, then add in fresh basil at the end.
When spaghetti squash is cooked, let it cool for about 10 minutes. If it was microwaved, now preheat the oven to 400 deg F. When the spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to remove flesh, which will come out in spaghetti looking strands, reserving the shells. Drain the squash on a paper towel to soak up any excess liquid, then toss with half of the sauce. Place the spaghetti squash back into the shells and place on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese and basil. Top each with remaining sauce, 1 tbsp ricotta mixture and 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until everything is hot and the cheese is melted.
I adapted this receipe from Skinnytaste.com.
Tucking this under my arm and heading over to Angie @ The Novice Gardener for our #54 Fiesta Friday gathering. This week, two special co-hosts, Sonal @SimplyVegetarian777 and Josette @TheBrookCook will be in charge. Take it over ladies, I know you’ll do an awesome job, our thanks for welcoming us all and showcasing our offerings.
Loretta,
This looks so yummy! Would love that on a cold snowy day like today. I can smell that aroma already!…wish I could just get it from my computer screen:)
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Thanks Sandhya, it really is quite a versatile dish, you could spice it up some more, make it a vegetarian one, and generally adapt it to suit your needs. Are you still inundated with snow? I must say we have had extremely cold temps, but hardly any show this year at all. I hope you see the ground soon :). We’re off to Sarasota, FLA for a few days, I’ll be glad to feel some warmth on my skin.
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We have about 3 feet of snow on the ground and extreme cold temps today. So enjoy those warm rays of the sun. Have fun in Florida!
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I love your title and I knew your recipe would be delicious. I have been wanting to try spaghetti squash in place of pasta for some time and now I have a perfect recipe to try. It’s fun and not boring (you know how some of those “diet” recipes can look). Great post and thanks – I am finally venturing out after all this snow so have added some additional items on my shopping list 🙂
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Thanks Judi, I hope you’ll give it a try. You can just adapt this recipe to suit your needs – I was thinking the next time, I’d spice mine up some more. You poor thing, whereabouts are you? in the North East? Our winter has seen some v. cold temps here in Delaware, but hardly any snow, and for that I’m grateful. Let me know how your dish turns out. 🙂
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I hope I can find spaghetti squash now and if so I will make it this weekend and let you know. More snow headed our way Sunday. I live in Michigan and we have about 14-16″ right now.
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Mmm…now this looks fabulous, Loretta! Love, love, love the idea of the lasagna flavors with healthy spaghetti squash as the base. 🙂 Super delicious recipe!
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Thanks Nancy, will definitely be repeating this, perhaps a tad spicier the next time. Do I spy a new picture for you? Very beautiful 🙂
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Good eye, Loretta. 😉
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Seconding Judi, this is not a boring way to use a spaghetti squash. It looks almost WW friendly too! Definately making this! Enjoy Sarasota Loretta!
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Thanks Johanne, you’ll definitely have to have a go at this, and you’re right it could be considered WW friendly. Can’t wait to get out for about 4 days of R & R in the sun. Thank God for Canadian snowbird relatives :)!
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This looks like a fab idea to use the spaghetti squash other than the spaghetti, Loretta! Loved the idea. Fabulous.
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Thanks Sonal, you could definitely make it vegetarian too. I too loved the idea of staying away from pasta, and this worked a treat! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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Delicious!
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Thank you Lori 🙂
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How could you have the heart to abandon this recipe in your folder for months? I love everything about this dish. Starting from its name to the ingredients you have assembled. Only once (many, many moons ago) I have used spaghetti squash out of curiosity, and it did not result well. Then, I did not know about ricotta either. But now, after seeing this, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
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I know right Fae? My bad! But I guess I wasn’t too happy with those pictures when I first started out. So it sat there in my drafts folder. Let me know if you try it, perhaps adding some Japanese spices to it ? :). It’s completely versatile. Thanks for the visit, always happy to see you 🙂
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Loretta this is so creative and beautiful! DEFINITELY going to bookmark this and give it a go.
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Thank you Mandi, you’ll have to let me know how it turns out. 🙂
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It’s twice baked spaghetti squash!! 🙂 I would much prefer this to twice baked potatoes- no doubt. I do the same thing with posts sitting in the draft section- delicious dishes with photos that just don’t do them justice. I think that this dish does look tasty- you are too hard on yourself!! Perfect for the fiesta- thanks for sharing! 🙂 Josette
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You’re right Josette, like twice baked potatoes, only a healthier version :). Well, since that post, I’ve learned a lot on food styling, photography and natural light…. .so I guess I WAS being hard on myself, thinking that the pictures did it no justice :). Thanks for stopping by Josette 🙂
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Spaghetti Squash is one of nature’s greatest accomplishments I think! Especially for those of us who can’t have or try to avoid the gluten of regular pasta. Looks so yummy. Thanks for sharing!
Michaela
http://www.thelodgeonhaydon.wordpress.com
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Thanks Michaela, I think spaghetti squash is a pretty versatile nature’s accomplishment. 🙂 So many ideas to put one’s mark on it and make it their own eh? 🙂 Are you new to FF? I don’t believe we’ve met before? If so, welcome, I’ll hop on over to your blog and check you out 🙂
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These look great! I keep meaning to cook more with spaghetti squash and this looks like a great choice, particularly for the cold weather just now as others have mentioned (I’m in Boston area and we had 40in in a week so there’s huge piles everywhere!)
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Thanks Caroline, it was really a heart-warming dish. You poor things in Boston, I’ve been hearing the weather forecast lately and it seems you are inundated with one storm after another. Here in Delaware, it’s been frigid, but hardly any snow to write home about :)… and that suits me just fine. 🙂 Off to FLA for a few days tomorrow, can’t wait to feel the warmth on my skin 🙂
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wow this looks yummy. I’ve never had spaghetti squash before but it looks great!
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Thanks Michelle, it really was very tasty and not so fattening :). Do you get these in the UK?
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I’m not sure, I haven’t seen them before but then again I haven’t been looking! We don’t get a lot of squash variety here though, which is a shame. I’m going to keep an eye out
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I love the combination in this recipe, all simple ingredients that I like, Loretta 🙂 The presentation is superb!
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Thanks Linda, this is a pretty versatile dish, the sky’s the limit on this one. 🙂
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I think I would really like this dish. Nice presentation too.
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Looking at your recipe Loretta I think I should give spaghetti squash a second chance. Hope all well with you 🙂
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Yes, definitely give it another chance Nandini – you can really spice things up with some of the goan spices too :). Just got back from a short trip to Florida, and now on our way to Canada, ma-in-law is with Hospice care and we need to make frequent trips as the end is near :(. At 94, she’s led an amazing life. Hope all’s well with you too.
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Have a safe flight and trip Loretta. It does get hard for them at that age. My dad would have been 90 in April. Take care and catchup with you when you get back.
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This looks just delicious to me! I want one of those boats all to myself.
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Thanks Julie, they definitely are worth trying. 🙂
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I am making your spaghetti squash boats tonight and I just had a taste of the sauce – yum! I was lucky to find a couple squash as they are off season right now. Very good Loretta and I know I will be posting my version of your delicious recipe this week, probably. Thanks so much 🙂
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So glad you will be trying these Judi. Yes, you don’t find this particular variety of squash in the heart of winter, glad you managed to get some.
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A very nice and unique recipe. What a nice idea. I could have never thought of this. 🙂
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Thanks Sadia, it was a pretty versatile dish. I hope you get to try it.
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Wow what a awesome thought:-) looks delicious
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Thanks so much 🙂
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Woooooow it’s Fab dear
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Thanks Linda 🙂
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I have also wanted to try spaghetti squash but haven’t done so. Your boats came out looking delicious! Enjoy your day!
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It definitely is a dish I will try again and again Julie. 🙂
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