Delicious Spaghetti Recipes with Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti squash
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 small thyme springs
½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 small oregano springs
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
½ teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 ounce parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 ounce ricotta cheese

Cooking spaghetti Squash

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. On a baking dish place the spaghetti squash and bake until tender, for approximately an hour. You may pierce the squash with a fork to ensure even cooking. Cool the squash after you remove it from the oven. With the help of a sharp knife cut the squash lengthwise in to two halves. Discard all the seeds and scrap the inner side of the squash with the help of fork to remove around 2 cups of spaghetti like strands.
2. Take a medium saucepan and heat olive oil over medium heat. As the oil gets heated add garlic and stir for about 2 minutes till it turns golden brown. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper, chopped tomatoes, thyme and oregano springs in it. Bring the mixture to a boil. After a boil reduce the flame and let the mixture simmer over low flame for about 20 minutes or until thicken. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture burning at the bottom of the pan. After the mixture has thickened discard the oregano and thyme springs.
3. Add the remaining salt and black pepper to the mixture along with other ingredients like parmesan cheese, fresh oregano, and fresh thyme. Spoon ¼ cup squash into 4, 4 ounce ramekins. Spoon the tomato sauce over the squash evenly. Divide the ricotta mixture among ramekins evenly and spread in such a way that it covers all parts.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes or till the ricotta layer turns golden brown in color. After done remove from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot. This recipe serves 4.

Health tip:

• You may even replace spaghetti squash with traditional lasagna noodles to make individual little lasagnas.
• Use fat free or reduced calorie ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese to reduce the total calories and fat content of this recipe.
• This recipe provides about 120 calories and 3 gm fat per serving.