Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

Spaghetti Squash is a food that I just can not get myself to like.  It's not spaghetti-y enough for me.  It's crunchy and I just can't get past the texture.  But, Jason loves spaghetti squash.  I've made it a few different ways, but this is by far how he prefers it.  It comes together quickly and is easy to prepare ahead of time.  You could even cook the squash 1-2 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to stuff and bake it.  This recipe is very versatile too - use whatever veggies sound good, add a protein (Jason likes Italian sausage), or swap out pesto for marinara, Alfredo, or extra olive oil.

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

2-4 tbsp pesto

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Cut spaghetti squash in half vertically and remove seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for one hour.  Remove and allow to cool.

2.  Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the peppers, onions, and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.  Add the tomatoes and dried basil and cook for an additional minute.  Remove from heat, scrape out the cooked spaghetti squash and add to the pan with the veggies.  Add the pesto and mix to combine.  Put half the mixture into each of the empty spaghetti squash shells (or you can place into an 8x8 baking dish) and top each with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes - until the cheese is melted and the squash is warmed through.  Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

~ Sara :)