Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Squash Your Pasta

Ever have one of those nights were you knock dinner right out of the ball park? Last night was one of those nights. We are still doing the gluten free thing around here but I was wanting something more Italian and pasta like. I picked up a spaghetti squash at the store this weekend and thought I would give it a go.

1 spaghetti squash
1 pkg (6 links) hot Italian sausage squished out of the casings(make sure it is gluten free if that is a concern)
1 onion, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
500ml tomato sauce or a couple of diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
Parmesan cheese

To start off you will need to roast the squash for about 45 minutes until the flesh shreds into spaghetti like shreds with a fork. First pre heat the oven to 350 F. Next, wash off the squash, dry it, and slice the squash in half lengthwise and place cut side down on a baking sheet. While the squash is in the oven is a good time to do other things such as make your kids do their homework, do some yoga, read a book....you get the idea.

Once the squash is cooked and ready to spaghetti, heat up your frying pan. Fry up the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks.
Add the onion and peppers and continue to cook until softened
Scrape all the spaghetti squash with a fork into strands, this will be easy if it has been roasted long enough. You should be left with 2 empty squash shell halves. Dump the strands into the pan and grate in 2 cloves of garlic. Mix it all together into one tasty mass.
Pour in your tomato sauce and stir until heated through. Sprinkle on about 1/4 (or 1/2) a cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve it up with extra Parm and some garlic bread (gluten free bread if needed).

This got rave reviews not only at supper last night but in the staff room today at lunch. I had to promise to post the recipe.
Not to brag, but that tomato sauce is my owned canned sauce from the fall.
Sooooooo good.

The only thing we really had to say was that next time we will use a spicier hot sausage.

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!