Earlier this year my handsome husband and I were enjoying a nice date night at a local restaurant. I couldn’t decide what to order. I’m not one of those who people who can veer off of the healthy diet path and get back on the straight and narrow diet plan the next day. I knew I had to have something on the healthier side. I noticed an interesting dish on the menu–spaghetti squash. It was served with marinara sauce and Italian cheeses. I’m not a picky eater when it comes to veggies so I decided to try it. I loved it! I haven’t wanted to return to the pasta. I have to be honest, I’ve always thought of spaghetti as a rather boring dish. It’s probably because it is a typical menu item in every household and was a frequent dish when I was growing up. Now, I can’t wait to have spaghetti squash!
I knew I would be having a sweet friend over for a meeting to briefly discuss some homeschool support group business today so I planned a dinner that would be quick and easy, one where I could let my appliances do most of the work. So when I prepared our meal plan I decided to have my new spaghetti . Before our meeting, I whipped up a batch of spaghetti sauce with meatballs. I just adore my crock pot! It simmered and slaved to cook our dinner.
While the crock pot was busy working, I enjoyed a blessed time with my dear friend. We were both a little tired from the weariness of the day. We got the business out of the way quickly and spent the rest of our time investing in each others lives and laughing over a much deserved cup of coffee. One thing we discussed was our dinner plans. She was interested in trying spaghetti squash, so that gave me the idea to post the recipe on the blog and share it with y’all! Thanks for the idea, precious friend!
Well, after an enjoyable afternoon it was time for me to cook the rest of our dinner. Well, I guess I should say it was time for the oven to cook the rest of our dinner. Spaghetti squash seems like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. What little bit of preparation it does take is SO worth it!
The only trouble I have with preparing the spaghetti squash is cutting it! You can try sawing it in half with a large serrated knife, or you can do it my way and just bat your eyelashes at your sweet husband and ask him to help you cut it.
Once it is cut, you need to scoop out the seeds like you would a pumpkin. A grapefruit spoon works really well for this.
Drizzle a little olive oil on the squash and season with a little salt and pepper. Place the squash open side down in a large, shallow baking dish (you may have to use to depending on the size of the squash).
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. You will know it’s done when you can easily scoop the squash from the skin. I used a large fork to scrape out squash. It will come out in strands that look just like spaghetti.
Serve with your favorite clean, gluten free spaghetti sauce recipe and sprinkle your cheese on top. Once you try it, you’ll never return to the boring old standby. It’s dinner time!
