Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Greens

I wasn't a fan of this, but Jonathan and his brother liked it. Besides butternut squash in soup form, I'm not a giant fan of squash, so I'm sure that contributed to my dislike. It's definitely not a bad recipe, so if you like squash and want a healthy alternative to pasta, here you go!

I did change up the squash preparation a bit since I liked the roasting technique better than the microwave one. It just felt like I could add more flavor earlier on. So I'm kind of mashing a couple of recipes together.

I did notice that the squash was pretty wet once I had shredded it, so I strained it through a sieve and drained off some of the liquid. It made the dish a little drier, but I think it was better that way.

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Greens
A variation on these recipes by Rachael Ray and Emeril Lagasse



1 spaghetti squash (about 3 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage
1 bunch spinach, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Slice spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Drizzle cut side with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place squash, cut side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove squash from oven and cool slightly, to handle. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and shred the inside of the squash with fork to resemble spaghetti. Cover in aluminum foil and set aside to drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Add the spinach and crushed red pepper and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes; season with salt and black pepper.

Toss squash with Parmesan and serve sausage mixture on top. Garnish with a little more Parmesan.