Spaghetti Squash Bake

By: Leslie Ann Quillen

INGREDIENTS

1 large spaghetti squash
1/2 pound chicken or turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 jar marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara)
Part-skim ricotta cheese (you can use as much or as little as you like)
Parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated
Sea salt and fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cut the ends off the spaghetti squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and lay cut side down on a microwaveable plate or dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave for 8-10 minutes, until slightly soft but not mushy.

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Once the sausage is cooked through, add the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the spinach and saute just until the spinach starts to wilt into the sausage mixture. Remove from the heat.

Using a fork, scoop out the spaghetti-like strands from the squash. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of squash, using about half of the squash. Season lightly with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Top with half of the marinara sauce.

Spread the sausage mixture in a layer over the sauce. Place spoonfuls of ricotta cheese on top of the sausage mixture, you can use as much or as little as you like. (I happen to LOVE ricotta cheese, so probably used about 1/2 cup here.) Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Layer the remaining spaghetti squash, sea salt & black pepper, marinara, spoonfuls of ricotta, and sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. If you want the top to be more golden and bubbly, you can place it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

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