I love spaghetti squash! I’m not sure when I first discovered it but being able to swap out noodles for me with something that can taste sooooo good with cheese was so important!
I try to steer clear of grains – especially something like pasta. I could sit and eat three bowls of mac and cheese without blinking an eye – or I used to anyway.
So.. this way ‘I can have my cake and eat it too’. (With PCOS I went mostly grain-free). This recipe can also be made by swapping out the spaghetti squash with regular pasta, cauliflower rice, zoodles, etc. Just adjust the cooking time of the above-mentioned products as compared to the squash.
I’ve served it dairy-free too, but that’s for another day.
I prefer to cook my spaghetti squash in the oven (I’m just not a microwave fan – unless it’s to heat up pasta and cheese lol).
However, there is a super quick and easy way to cook it in the microwave.
- First, score it with a knife in a few spots.
- Then microwave it for 3-5 minutes. This will make it easier to cut it in half much quicker.
- Deseed the squash, place it upside down in a microwave-safe bowl with an inch of water, and microwave for 5-10 minutes, until it’s soft.
- Scoop out and enjoy
Another shortcut for this recipe is to buy frozen diced/sliced zucchini (yes they sell it) and a can of diced tomatoes. And… they also sell prechopped garlic either fresh or frozen. Now instead of spending 10 minutes chopping veggies and cleaning equipment – it just all gets thrown into the pot.
I’m all for the shortcuts that make life easier and dinner less messy to make. The more practical a recipe is, the cleaner a recipe is… the more likely it will be made over and over again.
Would love to hear how it came out!
In Health,
Zelda
Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Zucchini, Feta, and Basil
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- 8x8 pan or a pyrex dish
- saute pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups Prepared spaghetti squash
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- ½ cup Diced zucchini
- ¾ cup Crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
- 1 tsp Basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Preparing Squash
- Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance.
- Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
- Once the spaghetti squash is cooled, use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and set aside 3 cups. Save the rest for later.
When squash is cooled
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic in oil until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and zucchini and cook only until warm.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Bake
- Place spaghetti squash in a 8x8 pan, spoon veggies over it, crumble feta on top and bake at 325 for 10 minutes
- Sprinkle with basil and serve
