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Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash

Submitted by Rebelmom Maria Nagel, home based Virtual Assistant

Spaghetti squash is one of those food items that I never purchased in my life until four or five years ago. I mean, like turnips or rutabagas, they are just too intimidating for a school night.


But, after going vegetarian I had to expand my horizons or be stuck with lentils for the rest of my life. Boy, am I glad I did. Spaghetti squash is not only delicious, it is also incredibly easy to make. Do not be intimated. The only hard part is cutting the darn thing in half.

Maria Nagel

Ingredients

  • 2 Spaghetti Squash (for 4 servings)
  • 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
  • 1 jar Tomato or Marinara Sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Rustico)
  • 1 cup fresh Mozzarella Cheese, grated
  • Approximately 3 handfuls of fresh Spinach, chopped
  • 1 half of large, yellow Onion, diced
  • 3 Fresh Tomatoes, diced
  • 3 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
  • Olive oil, garlic salt, sea salt, pepper, basil (to taste)
  • Roasted pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Wash the Squash.  Since you’ll be using the squash as a sort of serving bowl, be sure to wash it really well. And, by all means, remove the grocery store produce stickers.
  • Slice the Squash in half.  Find a really big and sharp knife and cut the squash in half, lengthwise while trying not to mortally wound your body. I often leave this step up to my husband! Otherwise, you can pop it in the oven for 10 minutes or so to soften the squash and make it easier to cut through.
  • Assuming you are not in the hospital after halving the squash, be sure to remove the seeds and gushy center. You can roast them like pumpkin seeds, by the way.
  • Rub insides with olive oil and garlic salt (optional)
  • Place cut-side down on baking sheet
  • Add water to baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes
  • Let cool, then scrape squash with fork to loosen strands. Try not to eat the strands. They are delicious.
  • Put squash “noodles” in medium bowl
  • In pan on medium heat, cook onions and garlic in olive oil. Add chopped spinach. Cook until soft. Add jar of tomato or marinara sauce. Salt, pepper and/or basil to taste. If your kids will eat mushrooms, they would make a nice addition to this recipe – but we haven’t been able to serve mushrooms in our house since 2008.
  • Beware – as you probably know, most store bought tomato sauces are the spawn of the devil. So, my go-to choice is Trader Joe’s Rustico Pommodoro Pasta Sauce. It’s not filled with crap and has a very unique flavor.
  • Poor sauce over squash noodles. Add chopped tomatoes. Mix well.
  • Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Mix well.
  • Spoon mixture into each squash cavity equally.
  • Top with mozzarella and basil
  • Put squash on baking sheet in oven. Do not cover. Bake 350 for approximately 20 minutes. I usually rub a little olive oil or butter and garlic salt on the inside of the squash and fill the baking pan with a layer of water.
  • Top with roasted pine nuts before serving (optional). Serve with salad or bread!

This is a great make-ahead meal. Bake the squash the night before, refrigerate, and then do the rest the next night!

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