Week 16 - 2013

Cheesy Veggie Spaghetti Squash Bake

6 servings

Ingredients

1 whole spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
16 ounces tomato sauce
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Poke spaghetti squash all over with a knife and cook in the microwave for eight to 12 minutes until soft. If you don't have a microwave, place the poked squash on a baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. While that's cooking, add the oil, garlic, pepper, zucchini, and carrots to a pan, cooking over medium heat.
Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and with a fork, scrape the flesh from the peel. It should flake off easily in strings, resembling spaghetti. Place the spaghetti squash flesh in a casserole dish. Add the cooked veggies, diced tomato, sauce, and most of the cheese and mix well. Sprinkle leftover cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Allow to cool for five minutes, serve, and enjoy!
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Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 medium spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Fresh basil leaves
Grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in 1/2

Directions

Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and clean as you would a pumpkin. Completely submerge 1 half at a time, in a large pot of boiling water and cook for about 20 minutes until the inside is just tender to a fork and pulls apart in strands. (Cook's Note: It is better to undercook if you're not sure.) Remove, drain and cool with cold water or ice bath to stop the cooking.

Scoop out the cooked squash from its skin with a spoon as you would an avocado and discard the skin. Use a fork to fluff and separate the squash into "spaghetti"- like strands. You can also use your hands. Reserve the separated cooked squash and dip with a strainer into boiling water to reheat just before serving. (Cook's Note: If after cooking, the spaghetti squash is a little too al dente, you can cook it more in the hot water just before serving.)

Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cream and reduce for about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in the rest of the butter and parsley. Place spaghetti squash in a large serving bowl, and pour Alfredo sauce over squash. Garnish with basil and tomatoes. Serve and enjoy!