spaghetti squash parm {vegetarian}

There is a great story behind this recipe. Spaghett squash is an amazing vegetable all on it’s own, but add marinara sauce, cheese and fresh herbs, then we are on to something. My husband came home a while back and announced he wanted to become Vegan. Backstory is, I am Paleo…sometimes Paleoish, but I LOVE MEAT!

Needless to say, I had no idea where to begin, nor the bandwith to make an extra meal for him. He did great for about two weeks and changed things up. He was now going to add in cheese and eggs and call himself a vegetarian. This was so much more managable, so I agreed.

This recipe was created for his journey. Spaghetti Squash Parm has become a regular and we are so happy he wanted to try new things. I use this dish as more of a side, but is truly a meal on its own. You can serve it with any protein and a green salad, if you are really looking for praise.

This can be done in advance by roasting the squash the day before and stuffing when you are ready to serve. I sometimes make this for my family, and keep a half for myself that I add butter and a touch of Romano cheese. This is a fun way to liven dinner up and make all of the vegan/vegetarians happy!

This recipe will make 4 halves, but will serve 4-6 people

Ingredients

• 2 spaghetti squash

• olive oil

• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

• 1 container whole milk ricotta cheese (16 oz container)

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella balls (you will need about 12 ounces)

• salt and pepper to season

• fresh basil

• 1/3 cup Romano cheese for finishing

• red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425° degrees . Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.

• Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Brush the cut sides with olive oil. Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes or until tender.

• While squash is baking, prepare ingredients. Ricotta can be used straight from container, but i like to season with salt, pepper, dried basil, mint, onion & galic powder. Mix together, set aside

• Remove the baking sheet and flip the squash over. Use a fork to scrape some of the squash up. Season the squash with salt and pepper. 

• Slice fresh mozzarella or shredd block of mozzarella cheese

• Fill each squash with about ½ cup of ricotta cheese, layering about 1/2 inch thickness. Next, layer marinara sauce. Lay the slices of mozzarella on top.

• Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the squash for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

• Sprinkle the squash with finely grated Romano and fresh herbs and serve!