Even though the Whole30 is over, I’m still all about making nutritious and delicious dinners. I also had a spaghetti squash taking up valuable real estate in my fridge. This dinner was just meant to be.
Last night was my first experience cooking spaghetti squash. My mom makes her own very tasty dinner with spaghetti squash that is one of personal favorites of hers. I need the recipe for now that I am an experienced spaghetti squash chef. I’ve watched my mom make spaghetti squash dozes of times and it always looked quick and easy. However, I have also watched my mom cut a spaghetti squash in half and it looked…difficult.
I will be honest – it was not easy. At one point I got my knife stuck in it, then got a second knife stuck in it trying to get the first knife out. But I was determined to cut this beast in half so my poor boyfriend would not come home to a mutilated squash and me crumpled on the floor yelling “it’s better than me!” Word of advice – let the squash get to room temperature of stick it in the preheated oven for a few minutes before you come at it with a knife. Your future self will thank me for this advice.
After I finally got this thing cut open, the rest couldn’t have been easier. Don’t let my squash struggle put you off from trying this recipe. Instead, use my experience to guide you so you don’t throw your squash (and your good knife) out the window. That could cause multiple problems.
Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage
Yields 4 servings
You’ll need:
- 1 spaghetti squash
- EVOO
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 12 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
What you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half, vertically – god speed. Scoop out the seeds and guts – reminiscent of carving a jack-o-lantern. Lightly grease a baking sheet with EVOO (or spray if you have it), and place the squash open-side down. Bake for 45-60 minutes – until you can very easily penetrate the inside of the squash with a fork.
In a frying pan, cook the onion and garlic with 1 tsp of olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes and then add the turkey. Once the turkey starts to mostly brown (about 8-10 minutes), add the tomatoes and seasonings. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, until the turkey is fully cooked.
When the squash is done, use a fork to scrape out the insides – this will give it the spaghetti feel. Pour the turkey inside the squash halves and dig in!
(Mental) Healthly Living 