Photo by T. Mike Fletcher
Serves 6.
1 spaghetti squash about 2¼ pounds
1 pound Italian Sausage
1 14 ½ -ounce can petit diced tomatoes, well drained
1 2/3-ounce package fresh basil, finely cut
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced abut 1/3-inch thick
6 ounces sliced provolone
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray. Place the whole squash on the pan and roast for about one and one half hours until soft. Set it aside to cool.
Spray a 2-quart casserole and set aside.
Cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into bite size clumps until browned and completely cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Cut the squash lengthwise and discard the seeds. With a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash into a large bowl. Add the basil, salt and pepper; mix well.
Layer the squash mixture in the bottom of the casserole. Top with the sausage and arrange the provolone cheese to cover. Cover the cheese with tomato slices. Set aside.
Cheesey Crumb topping
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
½ cup sharp asiago or parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Combine the first five ingredients and mix well. Drizzle olive oil over and stir with a fork to coat the crumbs. Top the casserole with the crumbs. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the crumbs.
Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until hot through and the cheese has melted.
If you’ve never worked with spaghetti squash, you have really missed a great no-fat, low-calorie fun food. It is actually a squash, that when cooked, can be pulled with a fork and the squash is identical in looks to spaghetti.
I find it impossible to cut this squash uncooked. So, I simply put it on a piece of parchment or foil that has been sprayed and bake it. After it cools a bit, I cut it, scrape out the seeds and turn it into spaghetti. The direction you cut the squash yields a different result. If the squash is cut crosswise, the strands will be long just like spaghetti.
If it is cut lengthwise, the strands will be shorter but I find them easier to eat and to use.
By omitting the sausage, you have a great vegetarian entrée.
By Helen Fletcher, The Ardent Cook
