Creamy Spaghetti Squash Vegetable Parmesan Saute Food

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH SAUTEED VEGGIES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400°, line a medium baking sheet with foil, and lightly mist with cooking spray.
• On a work surface, drizzle about 2 tablespoons worth of the olive oil over both of the cut-sides of the spaghetti squash halves, then sprinkle over a generous amount of salt (squash needs it!), black pepper, the 1/2 teaspoon of granulated onion, 1/2 teaspoon of the granulated garlic, plus the Italian seasoning, equally.
• Place the two squash halves cut-side down onto the baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, or until easily pierced with a small paring knife and tender.
• While the spaghetti squash roasts, make your toasted breadcrumbs: add the panko breadcrumbs to a small bowl, add a sprinkle of salt, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic, plus 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and use a fork to combine. Place a small pan over high heat, and once hot, add the seasoned crumbs to it, stirring constantly until golden-brown and toasted, about 1-2 minutes; set the toasted breadcrumbs aside.
• Once the spaghetti squash has baked, allow it to cool (cut-side up now) for about 20-25 minutes; once cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the squash flesh downwards away from the skin, fluffing it a bit to create the spaghetti strands. Scrape most of the flesh from each shell, leaving just a little bit around the edges to help maintain the shape of the shell, and place the scraped spaghetti squash strands into a large bowl to hold. Reserve the shells.
• To prepare your sauteed veggies, place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (I use my cast iron skillet for this), add a good amount of olive oil to it, and add in the sliced onions with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Allow those onions to caramelize for about 12 minutes, stirring them frequently, until golden; once golden, drizzle in the balsamic and stir to combine, then remove the onions from the pan and place into a bowl to hold.
• To that same pan, add in a touch more oil as needed, then add the sliced mushrooms along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms until golden-brown, about 7 minutes, then remove those from the pan and add to the onions to hold.
• Now to the pan add the cherry tomatoes along with the small squeeze of lemon, and cook those for a few minutes until blistered, softened and beginning to break down and become juicy; once broken down, add in the garlic, stir until aromatic, then add back into the pan the onions and mushrooms, plus the spinach and the white beans, and stir to combine, adding more olive oil as needed to create a silky consistency.
• Turn off the heat under the sauteed veggies, check to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed, then add the spaghetti squash strands into the pan, gently tossing with tongs to combine them very well with all of the delicious sauteed veggies.
• To serve, divide the spaghetti squash/veggie mixture equally between the two reserved squash shells, sprinkle over some of the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley, plus some parmesan cheese (if using), and serve hot. (You can serve 1 full, stuffed spaghetti squash half per person, or cut each in half to make 4 smaller portions.)

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SAUTE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place squash halves cut-side down on the sheet. Bake until squash is tender but still crunchy, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Once cool enough to handle, shred squash flesh from rind using a fork. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add squash to the skillet, and cook until hot. Season with salt and pepper.

CREAMY BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH PARMESAN (LOW-CARB)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. Place on foil lined baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, combine half and half, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• When spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, use two forks to pull the squash strands from the skin. Place in a 2 quart casserole dish. Discard skins.
• Pour the cream mixture over the squash, and stir to combine.
• Top with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
• Place in oven, and bake 20-30 minutes. If the cheese does not brown and bubble, broil for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve hot, and enjoy!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a paring knife to prick squash all over. Place in a baking dish and bake 1 hour or until soft. Cut squash in half. Scoop out and discard seeds. Using a fork, scrape flesh in strings into a serving bowl. Toss with Parmesan and butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

SPICY GARLIC-PARMESAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
• Using a sharp knife, cut off the root end of the squash, cut in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds and connecting strands with a spoon. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and place squash on the baking sheet with cut sides down.
• Bake until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork, and the flesh is tender, about 45 minutes.
• While squash is baking, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
• Remove squash from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle. Scrape out the flesh with a fork creating long strands, loosening and removing the strands from the shells.
• Heat a large pan on medium heat, and melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add squash strands, toss with garlic butter, and cook until heated through, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
• Remove pan from the heat, stir in Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir to coat the strands and let the cheese melt. Garnish with bacon, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

CREAMY SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place it cut side down in a baking pan. Cover with foil. Cook at 350 degrees until done (30 -40 minutes in the oven 6-8 minutes in the microwave). (To check for doneness, I just poke it to see if it's soft or that a fork will easily puncture the squash) When cooked the meat of the squash will be stringy and can easily be separated and removed with a fork. Set these aside. (I did mine a day or two before).
• Cook Italian sausage until meat is no longer pink. Set aside.
• Heat butter in a pan over medium-low heat until bubbly. (NOTE: if there is grease in the pan the amount of butter can be cut in half).
• Add diced onions and cook until translucent.
• Stir in flour and cook for a minute more.
• slowly add milk and vegetable broth while stirring. The sauce will be very thick and will thin out as you add milk. More milk or broth may be added as needed to thin sauce as desired.
• Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Steam cut up vegetables as desired or place them in a microwaveable dish and microwave on high until just tender. (approx. 2 minutes).
• Gently stir vegetables, squash, and sausage into sauce and heat until bubbly.