Hi friends! How was your weekend?
Highlights of my days off were visiting Temecula wine country with my cousin on Saturday, who visited for the afternoon to spend some time with me…
…and watching the NY Giants beat the Philadelphia Eagles (good for this Giants fan, and much to the dismay of my Eagles’ fan husband) + practicing some yoga on the beach on Sunday.
And I’m feeling very antsy about tomorrow’s election. During this election season, I thought I’d do a post about where each candidate stands when it comes to women’s + health issues, but it became so glaringly obvious to me which one should become president and which one is idiotic beyond belief, I decided there was little need to write that type of post.
It probably isn’t hard to guess which side I’m on in this bipartisan craziness we call the 2016 presidential race. After all, I’m an environmentally conscious woman living in California who strongly supports women’s and social rights, plus having people become president who actually have prior political experience.
In my little corner of the internet, I’d be remiss to not at least urge any of you who are on the fence with your vote to go with the person who actually believes in climate change; who has the temperament and patience of a professional, who does not feel the need to tweet nonsense at 3 AM; who has actually made positive differences in people’s lives throughout the course of their long career in public service; and who is extremely knowledgeable on many complex political topics without acting like an egotistical know-it-all.
For the love of America, don’t sit out just because you aren’t crazy about her. Get out there and vote!
That’s my two cents on the matter. Now onto the main topic of the day: a recipe that I’ve made more times than I can count!
This spaghetti squash casserole is a favorite in my house. In fact, it’s one of my hubby’s top meal requests, and last weekend I made it for dinner one night to celebrate him finishing another one of his classes for his MBA with an A.
I actually posted this recipe years ago, and it wound up being a very popular recipe on here. But back then I was cooking just for myself while my Marine was deployed, so I was making a smaller version of this meal. With my hubby home to eat dinner most nights these days, I make a larger version of this casserole that’s more fit for a family meal. I’ve also changed around a few of the ingredients in recent times. I thought today I’d share the recipe again, updated and with better pictures!
The spaghetti squash is such an interesting veggie. True to its name, once cooked, you comb out long, spaghetti-like strands of squash.
My go-to way to cook it is to first cut some slits in it, place it on a plate, and microwave it for a few minutes. When it’s warmed up and a bit more tender, I slice the squash in half lengthwise, throw it on a baking sheet, cook it for 30 minutes, then it’s good to go.
This casserole combines spaghetti squash with other fabulous veggies, like zucchini and bell pepper. The Italian flair comes from the combination of marinara sauce, mozzarella and Italian seasoning.
I usually serve it with fresh hunks of bread for dipping, which there’s room for because this casserole is very low in calories – thanks to the high volume of veggies! A quarter of the casserole has just 160 calories (7 g fat / 17 g carbs / 10 g protein).
I hope that you try this recipe out and love it as much as we do!
Italian Spaghetti Squash Casserole {gf}
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 zucchini squash I used 1/2 green + 1/2 yellow here
- 1/4 yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 TSP salt
- 1/4 TSP Italian seasoning
- 1/8 TSP pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut slits around the perimeter of the whole spaghetti squash. Place on a plate, and microwave for 5 minutes, or until warm and slightly tender. Slice in half lengthwise, and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Change the oven temperature to 375.
- Warm the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the bell pepper, zucchini squash, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook until mostly tender, around 7 minutes.
- Spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce (about half) into an 8x11 baking dish. Comb out the strands of half of the spaghetti squash, discarding the slimy stuff and seeds. Place the edible parts in the baking sheet on top of the marinara.
- Spoon half of the sautéed veggies on top of the spaghetti squash in the dish, then spread 1/2 of the cheese on top.
- Repeat the last two steps once more, layering the casserole with sauce, spaghetti squash, sautéed veggies & cheese.
- Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on top of the casserole. Cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil, and cook again until the cheese looks bubbly and lightly browned, around another 10 minutes.
- Serve the casserole with fresh bread for dipping!
Nutrition
Tell me…Are you a spaghetti squash fan? What’s the best thing you did over the weekend?
I have been loving spaghetti squash recipes- cant wait to try this one out!
This dish looks delicious, and I couldn’t agree with you more about the election. Already voted for her!
I love spaghetti squash! I used to make a spaghetti squash pie all the time… I need to try a casserole!
Temecula is so much fun. I drank wine at work all weekend. LOL! I can’t wait for you to come in!
YES I think you’d like this! And yes to me visiting you there sometime soon!
I have to give you props for writing about politics on your blog. The country is so divided right now, things can turn hostile pretty quick. To be honest I’m not happy with either of the candidates but like you, many of my beliefs align with the left more than the right. I feel pretty confident she will be the next president.
On a lighter note, this casserole looks amazing! It looks so comforting while still being healthy too!
Thanks girl, I think that a lot of people echo your sentiments about the candidates. I agree that there are issues with both, but to me, one is WAY worse/dangerous than the other… and the idea of him becoming president scares the hell out of me, so I hope that you’re right!
I miss spaghetti squash so so so so much! I used to eat it EVERY and I mean EVERY single day! EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! But… My stomach decided it did not like it anymore, about a year ago… So now, I rarely eat it 🙁 And if I do, I typically pay for it 🙁 WOMP!
NOOOOO that’s so annoying! Your poor belly doesn’t like a lot of foods huh… even innocent ones like spaghetti squash. Well, it’s better to stay away & not have to suffer tho!
Spaghetti squash is so delicious! Looks like a healthy comfort food dish to me! Yum 🙂
I have to echo Sarah’s comments that I give you props about writing about politics. Our country has become more and more divided over the past decade, and no matter who wins this race (which won’t be over today, btw…) I suspect that our country will only continue to become more divided. Our founding fathers would roll over in their graves if they saw the 2 major candidates running this year…
But let’s talk about something more fun…like how delicious spaghetti squash is! I love anything and everything with an Italian twist, so I know this one would be a hit in our house, too. This one sounds like comfort food at its best! 🙂
I’m going to be SO glad when this election is over…as long as my candidate wins (and I think she will). 🙂 Aside from that, this casserole looks so delicious and is something I could eat every single day!
I honestly cannot wait until the election is over … I’m so tired of all the ads, etc. etc.! Especially since we’re in NC – it’s been insane!!
Anywho! Why, why have I never made a casserole with spaghetti squash before?? This sounds deeelicious!
Wow!! This casserole looks amazing!! I’m sure my family will love it!!
One pot dishes are my favorite to make. This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to give it a try this weekend.
Thank you! Hope that you enjoy it Harold.