I love great food, and I love eating a lot of it.
While I have developed a more delicate appreciation for new dishes and fancy preparation, at any time I could still eat an ice cream sundae as big as your head. And like it.
I have never been told I eat “like a bird”, and I’ve never been one of those people who just take one dessert at a potluck. I’m pretty convinced that I could eat the Husband under the table at every meal if I wanted to. But, that wouldn’t be very lady like, and eating massive quantities of ice cream isn’t good for my girlish figure…or my mood when I wake up on Monday and my pants don’t zip.
Been there, done that. Not pretty.
I am perfectly fine handling my portion control most of the time, but there are some days (maybe when it has been a little chilly in your office all day long, and puddles have eaten the bottom of your pants so you feel soggy, and when you had a lame-o lunch that you packed in a rush this morning) that you want to just feel all warm and fuzzy and full. Like, a loaf of bread and butter and a huge bowl of pasta full. BUT, you also know that you can’t do that every cold night October – March without dire consequences…
So, what’s a healthy hearty eater to do? Two words: Spaghetti. Squash.
You might be a little familiar with this lovely veggie, but I think WAY too many people are in the dark regarding its delicious potential. I think it might just be one of the best kept secrets at the super market… You might be skeptical, but don’t hate until you try it. Trust me. It’s worth it.
Picture a HUGE bowl of spaghetti goodness with marinara, your favorite veggies, a little cheese sprinkled on top and a slice of toasty bread. All for a fraction of the calories and carbs of your usual go-to pasta! This dream can become a reality tonight.
Directions
Serves 2-3
{You can find spaghetti squash at most regular grocery stores – If the Kroger in my little Ohio town has it, I bet yours does also!}
- Pre-heat oven to 400
- Carefully cut squash in half length-wise (this is tough – take your time and watch those digits!)
- Scoop out the seeds
- Lay face-down on a baking sheet lined with foil (makes clean-up a breeze!)
- Poke holes in the skin (like a baked potato)
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife slides easily through the skin (time varies depending on size and ripeness of the squash)
- Use a fork to scoop and scrape out the insides of the squash – It will come out in strands just like spaghetti!
At this point, you can season with olive oil or butter and a little salt and pepper and call it a day (or a great side dish). BUT, if you want the true pasta effect, take a few more steps…
Chop your favorite vegetables, even toss in the meat of your choice, and add marinara for a well-rounded healthy meal (that you can each a bunch of with zero pasta-fuled-guilt-trips).
I used mushrooms, broccoli, red pepper, onion and spinach, and added about a 1/4 
lb of browned ground turkey. This dish is also GREAT with these turkey meatballs (just keep a batch of them in the freezer and pop them in the oven whenever you want!).
So, grab a squash, a bowl, the nearest green things and a jar of sauce, and get ready for a healthy, hearty meal that will leave your belly full, and your skinny jeans in your repertoire ; )
Enjoy!
FreshlyMinted 
Great thing about hearty vegetable-rich dishes (specially with squash) is you can eat your fill and maintain your health!
So, I discovered last week that cutting a spaghetti squash in half is SO much easier if you pop the whole thing in the microwave for about 7 minutes first :) Obviously, it will be necessary to adjust the baking time a tiny bit, but totally worth it! Looking forward to trying your recipe soon!
Genius!
Just looking at the pictures made me want to eat it!
Thanks, mama – Great sunlight for pictures that day!
Looks delicious! LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!
Thanks, Emily! So glad you like it. Can’t wait to see you and the little man again soon… (and the bigger man, too I guess ; )
I tried this dish for lunch today, and even my skeptical husband:) LOVED it! I have had that spaghetti squash in my garage for days….okay, weeks and wasn’t sure what to do with it. Your recipe was delicious and is definitely a new fall fave of ours! Thanks for sharing! Love the blog by the way….wish I could be so articulate and writer savvy:)
So glad you liked it! It took some convincing for my husband too (…boys…), but now it’s a favorite : )
so, i found you via josie when she mentioned you on fb. i admit to doing a bit of fb stalking, but i’m glad i did! i just bought a spaghetti squash 2 days ago because i heard great things about it, but i had really no idea what exactly to do with it. now i do! yay! and, my husband just made turkey meatballs last night for dinner and we have a bunch left over (because the recipe made a lot, not because they were yucky). wanna guess what we’re having for dinner tonight? thanks!!
Haha – So glad you found me! This is one of our favorite fun dinners – I hope you like it. Thanks for taking the time to say hello : )
Since I am a beginner cook, I had a question. Does this recipe work with lots of small squash instead of 1 big squash? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hello, Stacey! Thanks for visiting!
First, I would make sure that you’re buying spaghetti squash, versus another (usually smaller) variety like acorn squash. A Spaghetti squash’s guts are very different from other types, and is the only one that makes long, noodly strands – which make it super fun :) Generally, one regular-sized Spaghetti squash feeds two, with enough leftovers for one or two lunches. If you do run into itty bitty Spaghetti squashes (they should be well-labeled at the store…) feel free to make two, or even more if you are serving a group.
Other, squash varieties are much more “Sweet-potato” like on the inside once they are cooked, and are better for stuffing and baking, or peeling and chopping up for soups, salads, and in other dishes.