Spaghetti [Squash] Pie

Our CSA farm sent out an email ALERT!! that we should check out this post about spaghetti squash because we've probably been cutting it wrong all these years. I too have been in the lengthwise-cut camp but it's true - cutting it crosswise through the middle results in longer spaghetti-like strands...I tried it for this dish.

I like spaghetti squash and I also like carbs, so I don't necessarily view it as a carb substitute. I kinda dreamed this recipe up and it came out well! Spaghetti squash is combined with angel hair pasta (you could use actual spaghetti but I think angel hair blends well with the squash) and ricotta cheese for the "base," then it's topped with a tomato-meat sauce & cheese and baked. You could use spaghetti squash alone if you want to low-carb-it (the base makes a quite a lot if you combine it with pasta). You could also use 1/4 box of the angel hair. This can also be made vegetarian by omitting the meat, or you could add mushrooms or whatever other veggies you like to the tomato sauce.

*Note - when I first made this recipe, I used jarred alfredo sauce in the base. I've come to prefer using ricotta instead, so I've edited the recipe. If you have some jarred alfredo sauce it's a good application for it! You probably won't use the whole jar - add half to start.

You can also make all the components in advance and then assemble & bake; I'd guess you can also assemble & refrigerate to bake later - probably increase the baking time.

1 spaghetti squash

olive oil

1 lb Italian sausage meat or ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves (or more) garlic, chopped

1 24-oz jar tomato-based pasta sauce (or a large can of crushed tomatoes)

Italian seasoning

1/2 box angel hair pasta

1 15-oz container ricotta cheese

garlic powder 

2 cups grated mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Prick the spaghetti squash in a few places and microwave for 5 minutes to soften a bit. Take a thin slice off each end and then slice in half crosswise through the middle. Scoop out the seeds. Stand each "bowl" upright on a foil-lined baking sheet, brush flesh with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake for ~40 minutes or until tender (err slightly underdone). Let cool.

Brown the sausage or ground beef (season with salt if using beef). Drain off most of the grease. Add onion & garlic and cook til onion is translucent. Add pasta sauce & Italian seasoning and simmer on low for a few minutes.

Boil angel hair until barely al dente in a large pot. "Fork" the spaghetti squash to get long strands. Drain pasta, return to pot and combine with the squash. Mix the ricotta cheese with some salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and add to the squash/pasta. If it seems a bit watery, you can spoon off some of the liquid.

Reduce oven temp to 375. Butter or spray a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread the squash/pasta mixture in the dish, top with the meat sauce and then grated cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.