Spaghetti Squash with Sausage Marinara (Vegan Option)

This dish is great if you’re looking for a healthier option to pasta, and can be modified to be completely vegan.  It can be served in the squash for a fancy serving presentation for company (or hey, for yourself or your family, no judgment- pretty food is more likely to be eaten!!).  It works well most seasons of the year, though the heartiness of the sausage makes it perfect for cooler weather.

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage Marinara 

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

 

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

2 sweet Italian pork sausage links (can substitute with vegan sausage; Beyond Meat’s Sweet Italian Vegan Sausage is recommended)

6-8 cremini mushrooms

25 oz marinara sauce (regular or marinara basil)

2 oz organic spinach

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, length-wise, and scoop out the seeds. Lightly drizzle the insides with about 1 tsp olive oil (1/2 tsp per side), and place on a lined baking sheet insides down. Place in the oven and cook for 35-40 mins until it is fork tender.

 

While the squash cooks, dice the mushrooms. In a high-sided wide sauce/saute pan, on medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil and the mushrooms. Remove the sausage from the casing, and break it up into little chunks with the spoon you are cooking with.  Cook until the sausage is mainly cooked through and the mushrooms have softened. Add the marinara sauce and lower the heat to low-medium or a simmer for about 20 mins. Stir occasionally, allowing the flavors to meld together. Add in the spinach and cook for another 2-3 mins until the spinach has wilted.

 

When the squash is done, remove them from the oven and turn the squash over so the insides are facing up (watch out, they are very hot!). Let them sit for about 5 mins to cool down slightly. Take a fork and scrape out the insides of the squash (use a towel or something to help you hold the outside of the squash if it is still hot). You will see it is stringy like spaghetti. Take the squash “spaghetti” and add it to the sauce. Mix everything together and serve. (Hint: if you are serving this dish to guests and want it to look somewhat impressive, you can add the mixture back into the squash halves and then serve the dish from those.)