Spaghetti Squash With Creamy Marinara

David and I are huge lovers of pasta, and since I don't cook meat, we do eat pasta rather frequently. With the start of the new year, I've been trying to cook healthier and lighter foods in an attempt to get my diet back on track. I'm not giving up pasta altogether (that would be crazy!) but I am trying to cook less of it and more of the vegetables we enjoy.

A great way to get our pasta fix without all the calories, carbs, and guilt is spaghetti squash. After roasting, the flesh of this squash is scraped away from the skin and it separates into strands that resemble spaghetti, hence the name spaghetti squash. It can be used just like spaghetti and topped with anything you can dream up. For dinner one night last week, I made spaghetti squash with creamy marinara and it was a big hit! It even reheated well for lunch the next day, which is perfect because we had plenty of leftovers.

Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Marinara
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
3-4 lb spaghetti squash
26 oz jar of marinara sauce (this is my current favorite)
4 oz goat cheese, softened
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions:
Cook the spaghetti squash and remove the flesh using a fork (great tutorial here). While the squash is cooking, heat the marinara in a saucepan. Stir in the goat cheese and warm through until melted and incorporated into the marinara sauce (cream cheese or this dairy-free cream cheese also work well).

Place the spaghetti squash onto a pretty plate and top with lots of the creamy marinara. Add dried oregano to taste and enjoy while warm.

I often make this creamy marinara when I have a small knob of goat cheese leftover after using some in a previous dish, so the amount isn't too specific. Of course the spaghetti squash would be good with just the marinara sauce, but I've found adding in a bit of cheese just takes it over the top and turns a good dish into a great one. Nothing beats the depth of flavor and creaminess that a little goat cheese adds to the marinara.

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash?

~Tammy

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