I’ve been struggling a bit to add enough vegetables into my daily meals. I’m definitely not the biggest fan of vegetables. If anything, they rank up there as “tolerable because they are good for me.” I’d prefer fruit all day, any day of the week. Fortunately, there are some amazing recipes out there!

That said, I was really surprised with this recipe below. It’s actually quite simple to make (the hardest part for me was cutting the squash in half!) I think this recipe is going to be a quick staple for me because it gives me a one-and-a-half servings of vegetables and is coated with delicious ricotta cheese. When you’ve been eating balanced, this really does taste like a treat! And it smelled like pizza while it was baking–yum!

One thing to note is the portion sizes. The recipe I adapted was the same dish size, but written for 4 servings. Those portions seemed way too large for my first attempt at this recipe (likely due to the size/volume of squash in my dish), so I’ve made the recipe below for 6 servings instead. Just remember servings will variable based on the size of your squash.

If you’re not ready to enjoy all servings within 5 days, you can freeze leftovers for up to one month. Having frozen leftovers certainly makes meal planning much easier for weeks that are a bit hectic!

Servings: 6
Ultimate Portion Fix: 1.5 green, 1/2 purple, 2/3 red, 2/3 blue

INGREDIENTS

• Parchment paper
• 1 spaghetti squash (approximately 4.5 to 5 lbs.)
• Non-stick cooking spray (I use coconut oil, but also recommend olive oil spray)
• 4 cups all-natural marinara sauce (or make your own, like I do, and reference the ingredients below!)
• 3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil (optional)

If opting for homemade sauce, you’ll need:

• 6oz can of natural tomato paste
• 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes (if you prefer to peel and slice your own, you will need 10-12 tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons of oregano
• 2 tablespoons of basil
• 1 tablespoon of garlic Powder
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.
2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane. 
4. Place spaghetti squash, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tender. 
5. Flip squash right-side up and let cool for 10-15 minutes. If you’re making your own sauce, now is a great time to make it! Scroll down for instructions.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350º F.
7. Once cooled, scrape spaghetti squash flesh into stringy noodles and place in a bowl.
8. Lightly coat 4-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 
9. Evenly layer half spaghetti squash, followed by half the marinara sauce, and finally, half the ricotta cheese in baking dish. Repeat with a second layer of squash, sauce, and ricotta cheese.
10. Evenly top with Parmesan cheese.  
11. Top with optional fresh basil.
12. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Homemade Sauce Instructions

1. Place canned tomatoes and tomato paste in a blender or food processor.
2. Add oregano, garlic powder, and basil.
3. Pulse for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth
4. Add salt and pepper to preferred taste.
5. Pulse again for 15 seconds until mixed thoroughly