i love winter squash. acorn, delicata, butternut, pumpkin…shall i go on? but i for some reason, i had never tried spaghetti squash before we made this recipe.
a couple of months ago (i know, i’ve been hanging on to this recipe for a while now…sorry!), i was looking for a dish to share with friends after we went apple picking with them. i wanted something that would be hearty and filling, but could also be made almost completely ahead of time. this recipe fit all of these requirements. i roasted the squash and made the tomato sauce the night before, and then mike and i threw the shells together quickly in the morning.
although i love that this can be assembled ahead of time, that’s not my favorite part of dish – it’s mouthwateringly delicious. we scarfed almost all of them these shells right away, and the leftovers didn’t even last through the next day. and, now i’m hooked on spaghetti squash. i’ll have another spaghetti squash recipe for you soon! but until then, enjoy this recipe!
one year ago: pumpkin pie
two years ago: seven layer cookies
three years ago: polenta rancheros
four years ago: brazil nut encrusted seitan
shells stuffed with spaghetti squash
yields 6 servings
borrowed from plan edible perspective
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- oil, salt, and pepper for roasting the squash
- 48oz of thick tomato sauce (either store bought or from the recipe below)
- 1 box of jumbo pasta shells
- 1c ricotta cheese
- 2½c baby spinach, chopped
- 3/4c mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2t garlic powder
- 1/2t salt
- 1/2t pepper
- parmesan cheese
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- preheat your oven to 400º
- slice the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds
- brush olive oil on the inside, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place upside down in a baking dish or cookie sheet with rims
- allow the squash to roast for 45-55 minutes, or until its tender and comes apart easily with a fork
- this is the perfect time to make the tomato sauce if you’re going to prepare it from scratch (see below for a great recipe)
- this is also the time to boil water and cook your pasta shells until they’re al dente, then drain and rinse in cold water
- after you determine that the squash is tender, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes, then pull out the inside with a fork and set aside (you should have approx 3c)
- next, mix the spaghetti squash, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
- preheat your oven (or turn it down to) 350º
- now comes the assembly part
- start by putting a thin layer of sauce into two 9×13″ pans
- stuff each shell with the squash and ricotta mixture, then place them into the pans and repeat
- cover each shell completely with the tomato sauce
- then cover the pans with foil and bake for 15 minutes
- uncover and bake for 10 more minutes
- finally, pull the pans out and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, then broil for 3 minutes, and enjoy!
homemade tomato sauce
yields 6 servings
borrowed from edible perspective
- 1/4c olive oil
- 2 x 28oz can peeled whole tomatoes, with 2c of the liquid drained
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2t salt
- 1/4t pepper or more, to taste
- 2-4t sugar
- 2T tomato paste
- 4t oregano
- 2t basil
- 2t thyme
- 1t rosemary – fresh, if possible, and chopped
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- place the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
- give the tomatoes a rough chop (after draining a cup of liquid from each can) while the pot heats up
- add the tomatoes and the remaining juice to the olive oil and stir
- then, add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary
- bring to a simmer and allow to continue to simmer for 20 minutes
- then, remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender
- place the sauce back on the stove and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes, then use in your favorite recipe (like the one above)!