I think I am one of few people I know that doesn’t eat pasta very often. And this is not a new thing…as far as meal planning is concerned, I’ve never been one to have any sort of pasta on a regular basis. I know this is unheard of for a lot of people and incomprehensible, but it is what it is. J, however, loves him some marinara sauce (which I am also not a huge fan of), so I’m always looking for different meals that incorporate his beloved sauce without always needing pasta.
When I saw this recipe for spaghetti squash lasagna bowls, I figured he would probably enjoy it AND it was healthy!
I have actually attempted to make spaghetti squash dishes a few times and it has usually not ended well for me. The first time I roasted it whole in the oven. For 45 minutes. And it still wasn’t completely done. That is tooooo long for me, y’all.
The second time I tried it in the microwave after a little tip from my mom. Much shorter time frame, but I still didn’t get it cooked through all the way.
And the third time…oh boy, the third time was certainly a “charm.” I attempted the microwave method again, only THIS time, something went terribly awry and from the living room I hear this bang! in the kitchen, I run in there to see that the microwave door has been flung open and spaghetti squash is…all over the place. It had quite literally exploded in the microwave. Awesome.
Needless to say I was done trying to make the wretched little thing. Until I saw the recipe for this.
One more time, I thought. Just try it one.more.time.
Well, thank goodness I did. Because this time it turned out perfectly. Now, cutting that little bugger in half was a bit of a challenge – those suckers are HARD. But once I got it started it was easy. And roasting the in halves…much better. Much, much better.
I’m usually a 30-minutes dinner kinda gal, and this falls right there in that category. The filling/sauce can be cooked while the squash roasts, and then you just broil it to melt the cheese and it’s ready to consume!
Oh, oh! And you really only have to dirty ONE PAN!! Yeah. This is definitely my kind of dinner.
I will never say that spaghetti squash is “just like pasta”, because it’s not. But it is a great substitute and it has a pasta-like appearance, so there’s that.
I am sad that I didn’t get to enjoy more of this meal than the couple of bites right after I made it, but I got really sick the next day and couldn’t breathe or taste anything. And instead of wasting it, I let J eat it all for lunches/dinners. It just seemed like a waste for me to eat it and not be able to taste it.
That just means I’ll have to make it again, very soon! As should YOU!
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls
As seen on Sweet Remedy
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash, cut in half, seeds removed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp basil, chopped
- 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup partially skim mozzarella, shredded
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Brush the inner flesh of the spaghetti squash with oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the prepared baking sheet, flesh-side down. Cook for about 30 minutes or until softened.
- While the squash is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the turkey, stirring and breaking it up until cooked through.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds. Stir and cook about 1 minute.
- Add the turkey, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaf, paprika, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 10 minutes, or until the spaghetti squash is cooked and then mix in the basil and remove from heat.
- Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and use oven mitts or a spatula to help flip the squash over. Use a fork to scrape the strands loose into “noodles”.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of cottage cheese into each half, then top with the turkey and sauce mixture and cheese.
- Turn the oven broiler on hi and broil until the cheese is melted, browned and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from oven, top with additional basil if you’d like and enjoy, right out of the “bowl”! Of course be careful when transferring to a plate as the squash skin will be hot.
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