Well here we are, Friday – finally! Yahoo we made it through another week! This weather that we are having right now calls for yummy warm feel good kind of food. (where did summer go? was it only a month long?) Not sure what kind of food you enjoy but in this house we aren’t really picky. We enjoy most food and I try to make our dinners from night to night different. Pasta is a hit with our babies but since I have a gluten intolerance I have been using spaghetti squash as a pasta alternative (or I use brown rice pasta). We (including the babies) really enjoy the squash and it is very calorie friendly if you watch your calories. I tried a new recipe tonight and it was delicious. I chose a large squash thinking we would have left overs but no bueno it was all gone! So if your looking for a pasta alternative that is fairly quick and easy to make and is calorie friendly I encourage you to try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Parmesan Cheese

ingredients:
1 whole spaghetti squash
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup (60g) coarsely grated Parmigiana Reggiano
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
directions:
Preheat Oven to 375°F. Oil a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and connecting strands, then place cut side down on the prepared sheet pan.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash flesh becomes tender and separates easily into strands with a fork. Finish by gently loosening and removing the “spaghetti strands” from the shells. Set aside.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then add onion and garlic.
Cook until soft, stirring every 30 seconds, then add tomatoes. Cook tomatoes until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Add spaghetti squash strands and salt to the tomato mixture and continue cooking until the spaghetti squash is heated through.

 

Remove pan from heat. Gently fold in Parmigiana Reggiano cheese and fresh basil. Season with additional sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste (optional) Serve immediately.