Spaghetti Squash Marinara

We’re not trying to rush fall, but we just finished developing recipes for the fall issue of Allergic Living Magazine. Of course, squash and more squash are the stars.

Spaghetti squash is technically a winter squash, but is readily available now. We had plenty leftover to play with.

We love it. In fact, it’s hard to call it our favorite squash with so many good ones, but yes! It’s right up there and we couldn’t wait until fall to share a super simple recipe we made with just a few ingredients.

If you have never prepared spaghetti squash before, it’s much easier than you might think.

Lengthwise or Horizontal?

Let’s look at cutting the squash in half. Some say it should be cut lengthwise for longer “noodles”. But some say the best way is to cut it horizontally, for ease. This is a gourd, a bit tough and tricky to cut, so be careful.

We’re going lengthwise. First step is to split the squash in half, by cutting from stem to end, without cutting through the stem, which is too tough. When you’ve cut through the squash, just pull each half apart and one half will pull away from the stem. Scrape out the seeds. Lightly rub olive oil on the inside of the halves and season with salt and pepper.

Place cut side down in a baking dish and bake about 35-40 minutes, until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. The time depends on the oven and also the size of the squash.

When ready, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before flipping over.

This plant is soooooo…..amazing! Fluff the interiors with a fork and you have “spaghetti” like strands.

At this point, you can heat up your favorite homemade or purchased marinara sauce to serve over the spaghetti squash noodles. Simple and delicious!

Jazz it Up

Joel’s birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and did I get off easy! All he wanted was spaghetti squash marinara with sausage. We used Beyond Sausage, which is plant-based. But, you can use any sausage you like. Another delicious meal in minutes!

The first photo shows marinara with just the veggies served over the spaghetti squash. If we don’t have time to make our own marinara, we buy Rao’s.

Below, we’ve added Beyond Sausage, but you can choose your favorite. The spaghetti squash was tossed with hot marinara and veggies.

I’ll be honest, I never understood why someone who didn’t eat meat would want to eat something that tasted like it. However, it could be reasons for health or the environment. In that case, Beyond Sausage can be an awesome stepping stone for someone going from meat to plant-based eating.

It doesn’t get much easier than spaghetti squash, a deliciously healthy low-carb, gluten-free option that is an excellent base for pasta sauces.