In case you haven’t heard, spaghetti squash is the new pasta. Don’t worry, I was skeptical at first and but I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong, there still is a major difference between the squash and pasta, but it really is a good carb-free, healthier, yet tasty alternative to pasta.

I normally love any kind of pasta primavera so I decided that my first attempt at spaghetti squash would be a spin on a dish I already was a fan of. I saw on one of my favorite blogs a similar version from Skinnytaste and knew I had to give it a try. One thing I made sure to get a brand of marinara sauce that I knew I really liked and that was more flavorful – aka spicy! You can always make your own marinara sauce but there are some jarred sauces that are really good, especially the heart healthy, organic kinds! The other key to this recipe is fresh mozzarella cheese! I got the larger ball from the deli section and used my box grater to “grate” it. I say “grate” because what really ends up happening is the cheese starts to crumble into shreds but it all works just fine. One final note – make sure not to over cook the veggies! You want to have a little crunch left in your veggies otherwise this dish ends up being baby food primavera. Not really, but really.

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Ingredients
– 1 large spaghetti squash
– 1 large onion, chopped into larger chunks
– 1 tablespoon of minced garlic or garlic paste
– 1 heaping cup of sliced carrots
– 1 large or two small zucchini
– 2 small yellow squash
– 2 medium crowns of broccoli
– 1 and 1/2 jars of marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
– fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
– salt and pepper
– olive oil

Directions

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt a pepper. Place squash cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 450° for 30-45 minutes or until squash is tender. Once cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out the “spaghetti-like” strands of squash into a bowl.

In a large skillet, saute the onions with the carrots and garlic in a little drizzle of olive oil. Once the carrots have mostly softened, add in the zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli and saute until they start to soften. Stir in the cooked spaghetti squash and season with salt and pepper. Add in the marinara sauce and cook until hot and bubbly, making sure the vegetables do not too soft.

Pour into a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with the grated mozzarella cheese. Put the casserole in the oven under a lo broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Serve with some crusty garlic bread and enjoy!

Much Love,
M