Creamy Spaghetti Squash

I feel like the fall season has flown by faster than any other this year, which is unfortunate, since it is my favorite! I’ll take the 60 degree days to enjoy and savor over 90 anytime, but this year, we blinked and found ourselves in the 40’s. Why does that seem to happen more and more? Tristan told me its because as we get older, perspective on time changes. The longer your memories go back, the faster present time seems to fly.

Anyway, I think I could eat spaghetti squash every week in the fall, but so far, this is my favorite version.

Ingredients:

• 3 spaghetti squash- cut length wise

• 2 pounds Italian Sausage

• 1 diced onion

• 4-5 cloves of garlic

• 1/4 cup basil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• 1/2 jar marinara/spaghetti sauce of your choice

• 1/2 jar of alfredo sauce of your choice

• 1 cup cream

• 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt

• 2 cups spinach

• Olive oil

• Parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Place spaghetti squash on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. You can also sprinkle with salt and pepper depending on your taste preference.

• Bake face up for about 1 hour.

• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Mince basil and add most of it to the pan, reserving a small amount to use for topping.

• Add Italian sausage. Break into smaller pieces while it browns.

• Add seasoning to the meat when it is about half way cooked.

• Once sausage is browned, drain some of the excess grease out. This doesn’t need to be perfect, just drained enough to keep the sauce from becoming too oily.

• Add marinara, alfredo sauce, cream and Greek yogurt and stir until it is well combined. Cover and turn heat to low to keep warm until the squash is done.

• Once the squash is done, remove it from the oven and set aside for a minute to cool just slightly.

• While squash is cooling, tear spinach into to small pieces and stir into sauce. Return cover.

• Return to squash. Use a fork to gently scrape the inside of the squash to form the noodle like strands. You can either remove this into a bowl, or leave it in the skin of the squash. We left it in this time, and everyone seemed to enjoy that more than separating it into a bowl.

• Place half a squash onto a plate and spoon in some sauce. Stir to combine and add another scoop to the top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and basil and serve.

Hope you enjoy!