Welcome back, college chefs! This week’s twice baked spaghetti squash recipe is sure to put you in the autumn mood with a healthy twist.

Healthy dishes don’t always make it to the top of the average college chef’s priority list, but it’s important to switch it up and skip the  heavy carbs for a night.

Spaghetti squash is a healthy and savory substitute for any pasta dish, and during the fall season you can find them in every grocery store or farmer’s market. Spaghetti squash tends to take a while to bake in the oven, so the best time to make a recipe like this is when you have time to spare; perhaps while working on that essay.  

 

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash

Start to finish: 40 to 50 minutes

Servings: 2

 

Spaghetti squash

Marinara sauce

Shredded mozzarella

Cooking spray

salt/pepper

**All ingredients purchased at:

Schnucks

975 S. Annie Glidden Rd.

DeKalb, IL 60115

 

Before you start, take out a medium sized baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cut the spaghetti squash in half long ways. The squash has the same consistency as a pumpkin, so use a larger knife and be careful when cutting it open. I used a spaghetti squash from Schnucks (99 cents per pound).

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

After you’ve finished cutting it open, use a spoon to scoop the seeds out of each half. Once you’ve cleared the seeds out, set the squash halves with the open ends facing up and sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Then, turn them over so the open ends are facing down and put them in the oven for 40 minutes or until a fork can easily poke through the shell.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

After removing them from the over, turn the halves over and let them cool. When the squash halves have cooled slightly, use a fork to scrape as much of the insides as you can into stringy clumps. Place the insides into a separate bowl and save the shells.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

Pour in about half the jar of marinara sauce into the bowl so the strings are evenly coated, then mix in a few handfuls of mozzarella cheese. If the strings aren’t coated enough to your liking, add more sauce. After it’s all integrated together, scrape the mixture into each of the squash shells. Top each shell with a layer of mozzarella cheese.

**I use regular marinara, but a meaty sauce would work. It would also add a little meat to the dish.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

 

Place the shells back into the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

**If you want to add meat to this dish I suggest adding cooked ground beef, ground turkey or shredded chicken into the mixture.

 

Ready to eat!