When you want the treat of a pasta dinner that won't give you the carb coma, try this delicious casserole made with spaghetti squash, Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, spinach and garlic.
Ingredients
1 medium size spaghetti squash
1 lb mild Italian sausage, bulk or removed from casings
1 large shallot or 1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 head of garlic (approx 12 whole cloves, peeled)
1 healthy dozen cherry tomatoes
1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix such as mozzarella and provolone
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb fresh baby spinach
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 Tbsp fresh)
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Half the squash longways, scoop out the seeds, and prick the outer skin liberally with a fork or knife tip. Coat the flesh with 1 Tbsp olive oil and season with kosher salt and ground pepper.
Place the squash halves flesh side down on a baking sheet (or if you can fit them, in the 9x13 baking pan to be used for the casserole). Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and flip flesh side up to more quickly cool.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan, then add the bulk sausage, shallot or onion, and garlic cloves. Cook the mixture, breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is fully browned. Remove from the pan and place in a large mixing bowl.
Keeping the saute pan hot, toss the cherry tomatoes until they are mostly scorched. Add the spinach, and mix until lightly wilted. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper. Move the spinach and tomatoes into the mixing bowl with the sausage.
With a fork, scrape loose the "spaghetti" from the squash halves and place the "pasta" into the mixing bowl. With tongs, gently mix everything, then place into a 9x13 baking dish.
Set the oven to broil. Mix the cheeses together, sprinkle evenly over the casserole, then place the baking dish in the oven for 2 minutes or until browned to your preference.
Remove from the oven, and serve hot.
Tags: #casserole #italian #squash
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