It’s Harvest Time! Try Some Spaghetti Squash for Dinner

I have an issue: I love pasta. Large, heaping, Olive Garden-sized portions of pasta (yes, I’m talking that never ending pasta bowl). However, I rarely eat my Italian favorite because the large portions that I love are not so friendly on the waistline and can leave me feeling bloated and full.

But I just discovered something that has changed all of this for me. That never ending “pasta” bowl is now mine, in the form of spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to a large plate of spaghetti. It contains a fraction of the calories and is low in carbohydrates. Plus, it’s a great way of eating an entire plate of vegetables without even realizing it!

Fall is harvest time for spaghetti squash, so take advantage of this time of year and have yourself a large plate of “spaghetti!”

RECIPE

Makes 2 large servings:

What you’ll need:

1 spaghetti squash

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic (or 3! depending how much you love garlic)

salt

pepper

1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Monte Bene Farm Fresh Garlic Marinara, found at Whole Foods)

1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I used Daiya Dairy Free Mozarella cheese, but would be great with any cheese you like with pasta)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds (I used an ice cream scoop, makes it easier)

3. Place both halves of squash cut side down in baking dish. Make several holes in skin of squash with fork.

4. Bake squash for 30-40 minutes until it is soft.

5. After baking, wait a few minutes until squash is cool enough to handle by hand. Use a fork to scrape out “spaghetti” strands into large bowl.

6. Heat olive oil on stove on medium heat. Add garlic and heat for 3-5 minutes.

7. Add “spaghetti,” toss and mix well until spaghetti is very hot. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Put your “spaghetti” on a plate, add 1/2 cup of marinara and 1/4 cup of cheese on top….voila! You have a super healthy and large portion of spaghetti!

Optional: Can’t eat a meal without meat? Try adding lean ground beef or ground turkey to your marinara sauce. Will make your already hearty dish even heartier.

Nutrition Info:
I personally do not count calories but count Weight Watchers Points instead. This dish is only 4 WW points (may vary depending on what type of cheese and marinara sauce you use). For you calorie counters, spaghetti squash is a vegetable and has about 42 calories per cup. The rest you can probably figure out yourself, it will vary depending on your sauce and cheese.