Tomato, Mushroom, Spaghetti Squash Bake

Super low-cal and really delicious, this recipe takes some prep time, but none of it is difficult. The flavor makes it worth the effort. Pair it with a protein of some sort and it's an easy meal. I've got it down for six servings, but the serving size is huge if you split it in six. You can easily make eight comfortable servings with it.


Tomato, Mushroom, Spaghetti Squash Bake

2 spaghetti squash (2-3 lbs each)
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 videlia onion
4 cloves garlic
2 roma tomatoes, diced
.5 can diced tomatoes, well-drained (I use italian flavor, but you do you)
1 cup mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas
2 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
Salt
Pepper

Start by cooking the spaghetti squash. It actually works really well if you do this earlier in the day, or even the day before, and refridgerate the squash before you shred it. Gives it a more toothsome texture, I find. Anyhow, cook the squash by cutting one end off so that it will stand up straight, then slicing it in half. Scoop out the seeds, and place both halves facedown in a baking dish filled with about 1 inch of water. You can either roast it in the oven (~40 min at 357F) or microwave it on high  for about 15 minutes (I find microwaving is easier). Once the squash is cooked, reserve either in the fridge or to one side.

When you're ready to cook your spaghetti bake, preheat the oven to 350F.

Use a fork to shred the spaghetti squash into strands in a large bowl or colander. Reserve. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

In a large (emphasis on the large) saute pan, heat 2 tsp olive oil and cook the mushrooms, stirring, until partly done. Add the onions, and let them cook down. When the onions are sweated through and starting to get some color, add the garlic. Cook most of the moisture off the mushroom mixture, then add both the roma and the drained canned tomatoes to the pan. Cook until the moisture is almost wholly gone, again. Add half the reserved spaghetti squash, stir until well-mixed and heated through, then add the other half and stir again. Again, saute until much of the moisture is gone. Spoon it into the 9x13 casserole, making sure to leave any remaining moisture in the saute pan, not the baking dish. To the mixture in the dish, add 2/3 cup of the cheese, reserving the other 1/3 cup. Add the sunflower seeds or peptitas. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil (both fresh and dried), and red pepper flakes. Stir the whole thing together until well-mixed and gooey, then flatten it out evenly and place it in the oven uncovered to bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 min, sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup cheese on top. Bake for another 10 minutes. Finish by placing it under the broiler on high for 2 min to brown the cheese on top. Let stand for 5 minutes, then slice and serve hot.

Servings: 6