Spaghetti Squash Casserole

You may have seen spaghetti squash at the grocery store but passed it by because you didn’t know what to do with it. As the name would suggest, the cooked pulp does resemble spaghetti and can be served the same way, if desired.

Simply cut in half, clean out the seeds and bake at 375°F until tender. That should take about 45 minutes to one hour. Scrap out the pulp with a fork, toss with about one cup of ricotta or cottage cheese (and a handful of pine nuts if you have any) and top with homemade tomato sauce. If you have the sauce ready in the freezer, it’s a very fast and easy meal indeed.

If you have a bit of extra time, try this recipe instead.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH THREE CHEESES

Clean and bake the squash as above. Scrap out the pulp and place in a large mixing bowl.

You will also need:

-½ a Spanish onion, chopped

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 sweet red pepper, chopped

-½ lb mushrooms, sliced

-2 cups fresh spinach, well washed, drained and chopped

-1 carrot, cleaned and grated

-½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

-½ cup extra-old white cheddar, grated

-½ cup walnuts, chopped

-hot pepper flakes, to taste

-1 tsp dried basil

-salt and pepper

-¼ cup romano cheese, finely grated to be sprinkled on top

While the squash is baking, sauté the onion, garlic, red pepper and mushrooms for 3- 4 minutes to release the liquid. Then add the spinach and cook, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated…about 3 - 5 minutes.

Combine these ingredients with the squash and add the carrot, feta, cheddar, walnuts and seasonings.

Pour into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish (depending on size of squash cooked, you may need a smaller dish) and sprinkle the romano on top.

Bake, covered for the first 20 minutes, then uncovered, for a total of 45 - 50 minutes at 350°F. Serves 6 with a salad.

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