Tag Archives: dinner

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Strands of roasted spaghetti squash are layered with marinara sauce, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, then baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and all the flavors bake together. Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.

A wonderful way to prepare spaghetti squash, a winter squash that resembles strands of spaghetti when cooked. The flavor is nothing like pasta, but it has a mild taste that is wonderful with sauces you would normally eat over pasta. Technically this is not a lasagna since there is no pasta in this dish, but layered just as you would a lasagna in individual sized oven safe casseroles which are perfect for portion control. If you don’t have personal sized casseroles, you can make one larger one in an 8 x 8 baking dish.

This recipe calls for cooked spaghetti squash. I prefer to roast spaghetti squash, which is really simple to do, you can do this the day before and store the squash in the refrigerator or you can make it in the microwave if you need it quick. Once cooked, simply use a fork to separate the strands. I always have a jar of my quick marinara sauce on hand, which comes in handy to whip up quick weeknight meals.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 lasagna • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 291.0 • Fat: 13.7 g • Protein: 19.6 g • Carb: 21.0 g • Fiber: 2.7 g
Sodium: 358.3 mg

Ingredients:

2 cups marinara sauce
3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash
1 cup part skim ricotta
8 tsp parmesan cheese
6 oz part skim shredded mozzarella (I used Sargento)

Directions:

See instructions on how to roasted spaghetti squash here.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In four individual 5 x 7-inch oven safe baking dishes, ladle 1/4 cup quick marinara sauce on the bottom of each dish. Top each with 3/4 cup of cooked spaghetti squash and spread evenly. Top each with 1/4 cup ricotta.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese and .75 oz mozzarella on each. Add the remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce

Something magical happens to pasta when you combine it with a creamy butternut squash puree, a little Parmigiano Reggiano, leeks, garlic and sage.

I found this out by accident.

This started from a mistake, a butternut squash puree that was far too thin and liquidy. A very HAPPY mistake!

Sauteed leeks and a good quality cheese make this simple savory pasta dish a HUGE success, even if you’re not a fan of butternut squash. You’ll swear this is full of cream and butter… but it’s not. This is perfect for Meatless Mondays, or any night of the week.

It’s super easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is very filling. To speed this up, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash. I was craving a thick spaghetti, but any pasta shape would work. Whole wheat of gluten-free pasta would also be great! My family isn’t a fan of whole wheat, so I use Ronzoni Smart Taste or Dreamfield’s low carb pasta.

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4th of recipe • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7
Calories: 266 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carb: 56 g • Fiber: 9 g • Protein: 9.5 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 97 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 tbsp light butter
8 oz spaghetti of your choice (use brow rice pasta for gluten-free)
1 (1 cup) large leek (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese
4 sage leaves, sliced thin
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, melt the butter, sauté the leeks and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and sage and mix in pasta until well coated.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side.