Baked spaghetti squash
I'm back in NOLA with a more sizable kitchen (thank goodness I moved out of student housing), so I hope to be doing way more cooking now. I was craving some red gravy the other day while I was studying, so because I have so much time, I first started with some homemade marinara sauce. There are obviously countless number of things you can do with marinara sauce, but because I'm having quite a nutrition quick these days (studying nutrition for most of the day helps), I decided to make a healthier, lighter "baked ziti." And because I'm southern now, I baked it all in a cast iron skillet. Yup, I went there.
Here I introduce the spaghetti squash, a round elongated yellow colored squash that once baked, yields a stringy delicious squash that resembles... spaghetti. Or shark fin, depends where you're from. Though there are a lot of steps in this recipe, I assure you that the end result is totally worth it! Make lots because the leftovers taste even better.
Baked spaghetti squash
For the squash:
1 spaghetti squash
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley)
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Slice spaghetti squash lengthwise, coat with olive oil, salt, and seasoning and bake for 40-45 minutes face down.
3. Remove from oven and scrape the insides of the squash out with a fork.
To put it all together:
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb ground turkey (feel free to season with garlic powder and Italian seasoning)
3-4 cups marinara sauce (depends how saucy you like it)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella (I used pearls because that's what I had)
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Heat oil on cast iron skillet. Sautee ground turkey until brown.
3. Add spaghetti squash and mix well.
4. Pour red sauce and incorporate with the turkey and spaghetti squash.
5. Layer on the cheeses and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.
And to make it even better? Serve with fresh basil!
✓ fiber
✓ vegetables
✓ lean protein
✓ lycopene
✓ low sodium
