Here’s the deal: Tom loves spaghetti and meatballs.

And when I say loves spaghetti and meatballs I’m not exaggerating. In college, the man frequently ate an entire box of spaghetti in one sitting.

{…that’s right…an entire box of spaghetti. aka one pound of pasta. aka over 1600 calories before sauce and meatballs. I still have no idea how he physically did this.}

Creating a meal that satisfied his craving for his favorite food while making it something that I actually felt good about eating (ie: less sugar, less processed, & more nutrient-dense) was a challenge. While the solution offered by diet magazines and talk shows everywhere seems to be just swapping spaghetti squash for pasta–there’s a problem. The challenge with this dish is not just the pasta–it’s what you put on it.

{WARNING: BRIEF SOAP BOX MOMENT AHEAD}

Next time you’re grocery shopping, do the following:

1. Pick-up bottle of jarred spaghetti sauce
2. Read nutrition label of back of jar
3. Refrain from dropping jar in HORROR in the amount of sugar in it–usually at least 12 grams, or three teaspoons of sugar in 1/2 cup serving (and who only eats a half cup of sauce…I mean c’mon…sauce is like the best part)

Unless my name is Buddy the Elf, I wasn’t planning on eating that much sugar with my spaghetti.

{Phew…I digress. I promise.}

When you add on top of this our average meatballs made with fatty ground beef and bread crumbs–it just becomes a really rich meal really fast. Again, there is nothing wrong with eating some meatballs and pasta every once in a while–let’s get real, it’s absolutely delicious–but for most families (and as Tom would prefer) this is a weekly staple for dinner. Consuming this much sugar this frequently is a no-no for us and my family history of diabetes.

So…where’s the compromise?

Here’s our answer: 

• Properly seasoned and cooked spaghetti squash (you can make it taste like spaghetti and have the same mouth-feel, I promise)
• Homemade spicy red sauce
• Flavorful chicken sausage
• …and a side of rosemary garlic green beans…because while garlic bread may not make the cut for our dinner, garlic always does!

| Seasoned Spaghetti Squash with Sausage Marinara Sauce & Roasted Rosemary Garlic Green Beans |

Serves: 3 Tom’s or 4 Alaina’s

Ingredients Needed:

For the squash:

• 1 large spaghetti squash (about football-sized)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

For the sauce:

• 2-3 cups tomatoes, diced (I recommend grape tomatoes, and use your food processor to dice…and, if you’re desperate, canned diced tomatoes work too!)
• 1 medium to large onion, diced (ditto food processor tip above)
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (or about four cloves, minced)
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 4 pre-cooked chicken sausages, sliced (I recommend AmyLu’s Apple Gouda Chicken Sausages..get ’em at Costco and they will change your life)

 For the green beans:

• 3 to 4 cups fresh green beans–washed, dried, &  trimmed
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Prepare spaghetti squash
  • Sharpen your knife–these babies are HARD and you can easily cut yourself. Be careful! If you ever find you can’t cut a spaghetti squash, pierce the entire thing with a fork and microwave for 2-3 minutes to soften. Then try cutting again. Repeat until you can safely cut  the squash.
  • Cut ends off squash–about an inch on each side
  • Cut the squash down the middle length-wise
  • Using a spoon, scrape out the guts/seeds like you would with a pumpkin
  • Brush liberally with olive oil ( I use my fingers to really rub it in the flesh of the squash) and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Lay squash halves flat (cut-side down) on a rimmed cookie sheet
• Using a fork, pierce the each squash piece a dozen or so times (to let excess steam escape)
• Bake for 45 minutes

While the squash is cooking, make the sauce…

• Heat olive oil in a large rimmed skillet/sauce pot (ensure you have a cover that fits it for later!)
• Add garlic and onion and saute until fragrant (about three to four minutes)
• Stir in tomatoes, seasonings, and sausage
• Cover & let simmer until you serve–stirring occasionally
  • PS- This sauce gets better the longer it simmers–feel free to make it in advance (and even freeze it) & just reheat it for a quick weeknight dinner! 

Once the sauce is simmering, prepare your green beans…

• Lay green beans on rimmed cookie sheet
• Drizzle olive oil on beans and sprinkle with seasonings
• Using your hands, combine the mixture so it is all well-coated and seasoned
• Set aside

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! 45 minutes have gone by and your squash is done…

• Check if your squash is done
  • If you can easily piece the skin with a fork, it’s done; if not, put it back in the over for another 10 minutes
  • Repeat until the squash is easily pierced by a fork–this is CRUCIAL to ensure that the texture is truly like spaghetti and not too crunchy
• When you’re sure your squash is done, set cookie sheet on a heat-safe surface

Let your squash slightly cool for a second, and grab those green beans…

• Increase temperature of oven to 425 degrees F
• Roast beans for 10 minutes

During those 10 minutes, return to your squash…

• Using your forks from earlier, scrape the flesh of the squash and watch the “noodles” appear
• As you work, transfer the “noodles” to your serving bowl

Scraping your squash should take about 10 minutes…

• Once 10 minutes have passed, open oven door and use a spatula to stir beans to avoid any burn spots (be careful not to burn yourself!)
• Close oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees
• Continue roasting beans for 5 minutes, or until they are slightly wrinkled with some dark spots

Once your beans are done, everything’s ready to serve! 

• I recommend topping with grated parmesan–or, even better, grated parmesan, romano, and asiago (we love Mama Francesca’s, below)

This recipe is truly one of our favorites–and does not sacrifice taste for health. The cheese and apple in the sausage gives the sauce a subtle sweet and savory flavor that is to-die-for, and the seasoned squash has a texture that is truly reminiscent of a big bowl of angel hair pasta. Paired with deliciously garlicky green beans–this dish is a standout.

Here’s to making many more culinary compromises–all in the name of love.

xoxo, alaina