Baked Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Morning!!!

I was only introduced to Spaghetti Squash like 3-4 years ago!! Again....I come from a household where Dad only ate cheeseburgers and fries! Hahahaha!! Ok, he might eat more then that, but you see where I'm going with that! Anywho, I normally just make it like regular spaghetti.....cook the squash and add some spaghetti sauce! But I came across this recipe which kinda made it more like a lasagna...minus the noodles!

Let's get started!

 

First you wanna start by baking your spaghetti squash....I jab it with a fork a couple times and bake it @ 400' for about an hour or so

 

Pull it out an let it cool enough to handle it

 

Cut it in half and start scooping out the seeds  

 

Now just take a fork and shred the pieces off the side

 

Stick your now "spaghetti noodles" in a greased baking dish

 

Now to prepare your sauce

You will need: Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Garlic, Ground Red Pepper, Oregano and Thyme 

 

Simmer your sauce...Yum!

 

 Now your cheesy layer....Mix together ricotta, parmesan, oregano and thyme  

Now layer the sauce on top of your spaghetti...

 

And then top it with the cheese mixture...

 

Then you wanna bake it for about 45 minutes or until it starts to get slightly golden on top!

 

 YUMMMOOO!!!!

We served it up with some garlic bread!

A little healthier spin on spaghetti! You could even have a side salad as well!

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 



1 (4 lb.) spaghetti squash

Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme

Gratin Topping:
1 (15 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt



Directions
For the Squash:
1.  Pierce squash several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.  Cool.

2.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds.  Use a fork to scrape the inside flesh of the squash into spaghetti-like strands.  You should end up with about 6 cups of strands.

For the Sauce:
3.  Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, oregano, and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

For the Gratin Topping:
4.  Place all gratin topping ingredients in a mixing bowl; stir to combine.

For Assembly and Baking:
5.  Place spaghetti squash 'noodles' in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Pour sauce evenly over squash.  Place cheese mixture on top of sauce and spread it with the back of a spoon to evenly cover the sauce.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until heated through, bubbly, and lightly browned.

 ENJOY!!