Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Sauce

Spaghetti squash is an extraordinarily satisfying substitute for pasta. This is good news for those who wish to avoid pasta to lose weight or reduce consumption of grains for other reasons. The recipe that follows can be made with your favorite tomato sauce (as written) or with other types of sauces, such as pesto or simply olive oil with crushed garlic. I have not provided a recipe for tomato sauce here since there are so many varieties of tomato sauce to choose from. Just pick one of your standards.

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash

3 c. (24 oz.) tomato sauce of your choice

2 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. baby Portobello mushrooms (chopped)

1 tsp. oregano

1 garlic clove (crushed)

6 oz. grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and the first layer of strings. The spaghetti squash is a tricky squash to “clean” prior to baking because it is stringy by nature. You want to remove the tough strings at the core, but you don’t want to dig out the flesh of the squash, which is what you will bake and eat. Put the squash halves upside down on a cookie sheet with a little water in it (up to about ½ of an inch). Bake at 350˚ for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) or until the squash is clearly soft when pierced with a fork. Check frequently after 30 minutes in the oven so as not to overcook. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the squash meat and toss it in a large bowl. Separate the strands so that it resembles spaghetti.

While the squash is baking, cook the mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan for one minute on high heat and then turn the heat down to medium. Sauté the chopped mushrooms, crushed garlic clove, and oregano in the olive oil, drizzling in a little water as needed to prevent the mushrooms from drying out. The mushrooms will cook for approximately five minutes, until soft but not rubbery. Stir frequently.

When the spaghetti squash is done, warm the tomato sauce in a pot over low heat until it is hot. Add the mushrooms to the sauce and fold them in. Pour the tomato/mushroom sauce over the spaghetti squash and serve. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!