Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a bartender at a local pub.  I have some of the greatest customers EVER.  Yesterday, two customers each gave me a bag of peppers.  I neglected to look at the peppers before going grocery shopping today, and I planned on making stuffed peppers for dinner.

Well, I went to start making them today, and the peppers are not stuffable!  Change of plans!!

I decided to experiment, and make spaghetti squash “lasagna”- something I had never heard of before, something I didn’t look up a recipe for, but something that sounded delicious, so I HAD to make it!

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash

1/2 large spanish onion, diced

2-3 peppers of choice, diced

12 Campari tomatoes

4 fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground chicken

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

• Cook spaghetti squash according to instructions following this recipe.
• Place tomatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Boil until skin starts coming off. Drain water and mash the tomatoes with a potato masher.
• While tomatoes are boiling, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and peppers and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
• Add onions, peppers, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and 2 whole basil leaves to crushed tomatoes and simmer on low for 1 hour. Remove basil leaves.
• Heat another teaspoon of olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until cooked through.
• Toss spaghetti squash, tomato sauce, and chicken in skillet and transfer to glass baking dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
• Sprinkle cheese on top, and bake at 475 until cheese is melted.
• When finished, top with remaining basil leaves, chopped!

 

 

How to make spaghetti squash!

1- This is what a spaghetti squash looks like whole.
2- Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Depending on the size of it, this could be a difficult task, so BE CAREFUL!
3- Scoop the seeds and guts out with a spoon.
4- It’ll be clean and smooth when you’re done scooping.
5- Place squash flesh side down in a baking dish with 1/4 inch of water
– Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size. Squash will be fork tender when done (meaning a fork will easily pierce through the squash).
6- Use a fork to pull strands away from skin.
7- Gather all strands in middle.
8- Scoop it all out.
9- Add to plate and season, or add to pan to mix other ingredients in.