That Spaghetti {Squash} Recipe

Last week, I posted a picture of my dinner on Facebook. I asked my fans to “like” it if they wanted the recipe. I always deliver on a promise.

In all honesty, I feel slightly embarrassed to share this with you because it’s so easy. There are only 4 ingredients:

• Spaghetti Squash
• Chicken Sausage
• Spinach
• Tomato Sauce

The reason I love this meal – it’s super easy, fast and so delicious! I’m not sure what your schedules look like, but I wake up at the butt crack of dawn (4:45, 4:27 on spin days), hit the gym, go to work and get home around 6pm. The last thing I want to do is slave away in the kitchen putting together a fancy meal for myself. I also like to be in bed by 9 so the faster the prep, the better!

#Truestory

Salads with grilled chicken get boring and sometimes we all need a little comfort. As a non-pasta fan, I rely on spaghetti squash to fill my cravings. Lately, I’ve been shocked at how many people I know that have NEVER tried spaghetti squash. It’s the sneakiest veggie ever! Strange when you think about baking it, taking a fork to it and magically, you have “spaghetti.”

I first experimented with this squash years ago when I was tasked to provide a side to our Easter Sunday meal. I used this recipe and it was a hit! That’s saying a lot coming from an Italian family. After that, I was hooked.

I really didn’t use recipes after that. I mean, it’s just “spaghetti” so I would just toss whatever I wanted together.

The key to making this really fast is preparing the squash ahead of time. Because I have limited time on weeknights, I always prep my veggies on Sundays. Roasting spaghetti squash is extremely easy. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t bother.

Roasting Spaghetti Squash

1. Preheat your oven to 400º.
2. Cut a medium (1 to 2 lbs) sized spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. You’ll need a serious knife and some elbow grease.
3. Remove the seeds and place both halves face down on a greased (sprayed) baking dish.
4. Bake for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the squash)
5. It’s ready when you are able to pierce through the skin with a fork and it’s tender. You don’t want it mushy.
6. Take it out of the oven and turn them right side up. Let cool. Now comes the fun part! Take a fork and run it through the squash. It will form long pieces of stringy spaghetti. Transfer to a bowl and either store for later or mix in your ingredients to make spaghetti.

Spinach-Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 heaping cup of cooked spaghetti squash (be generous)
• Couple handfuls of spinach
• 1 chicken sausage link (I use Trader Joe’s Italian style)
• 1/4 cup (or more) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Slice chicken sausage into pieces and saute in pan with oil and minced garlic. Once it’s almost done, add in the spinach until slightly wilted. Next, toss in your spaghetti squash and sauce. Mix until combined. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy!

Seriously, love this dish. I have also used plain canned roasted tomatoes as well as sun-dried tomatoes in place of traditional sauce.

For some more spaghetti squash inspiration, check out these recipes:

Spaghetti Squash Sausage Bake via PaleOMG

Garlic Shrimp Scampi via Civilized Caveman Cooking

Chocolate Chili Stuffed Squash via Running to the Kitchen

Spiced Orange Salmon with Spaghetti Squash via A Dash of Meg

Have you had spaghetti squash before?

What ingredients would you choose for the perfect combo?

Maria

Tagged as: chicken sausage, recipes, spaghetti squash, Trader Joe's