Spaghetti Squash

The first time I made spaghetti squash I had a backup dinner on hand in case it was inedible. But it really surprised us!  It was actually delicious, and so healthy!

This year we grew spaghetti squash in the garden but only got one squash so far.  

Cut it open with a large, sharp knife.

Scrape out the seeds with a spoon.

And roast, cut side up, in a 375 degree oven for about an hour.
Meanwhile, make a tomato sauce.

This time I used hot Italian sausage, passata, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, onions and zucchini.

Normally I buy turkey or pork sausages and split them open to cook the meat inside, but this loose sausage meat makes things a little easier.

Brown the sausage meat in a pan or big pot.

Dice some onions...

...and peppers.

Add the diced onions and peppers and cook a few minutes to soften.  

Add the garlic and diced zucchini and cook just for a moment.

Add a bottle of passata (pureed tomatoes) and half a can of diced tomatoes and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Once the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven.

Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti-like strands of squash from the shell.

Once the strands are scraped out...

...add them to a plate or bowl as you would pasta...

and top with the finished pasta sauce.

Add some grated parmesan and fresh basil.  Delicious and healthy!