Baked Spaghetti Squash

Who doesn't love a warm, delicious, baked pasta casserole? While summer is full of dinners that are prepared on the stove top to avoid heating up the house, fall is all about using your oven dial once again. I have really missed using my oven; I'm welcoming cooler weather so that I can indulge in some fantastic baked pasta and casseroles dinners.

This Baked Spaghetti Squash is one of the first fall dinners I made using my oven. This healthy recipe uses spaghetti squash in place of regular pasta, which cuts the carbs and increases fiber and nutrients. And for all of you non-spaghetti squash lovers, try using half pasta and half spaghetti squash-you won't even be able to tell that there is spaghetti squash in the casserole!

While this recipe is delicious, filling, and satisfying as is, it is a very basic recipe. Next time, I will add some ground beef or turkey, or possibly throw in some sauteed vegetables. Include whatever ingredients you normally add to your baked spaghetti, and indulge in this lighter but just as delicious dinner guilt-free!

Baked Spaghetti Squash
(6-8 servings)

1 large spaghetti squash or 6 cups of shredded spaghetti squash
1 16-ounce jar marinara sauce
2 cups reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
2 tsp garlic powder

Prepare spaghetti squash (refer to this post if you need instructions on how to do this).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 7x10 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Add entire jar of marinara sauce and spaghetti squash to a bowl. Mix ingredients together, until spaghetti squash is covered in marinara sauce. Add salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Stir ingredients together.

Layer half of the spaghetti squash into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Layer with remaining spaghetti squash. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to top of cheese layer.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown slightly. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Print this recipe!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 124.2
Total Fat: 5.0 g
Cholesterol: 16.4 mg
Sodium: 346.1 mg
Total Carbs: 12.0 g
Fiber: 2.3 g
Sugars: 4.5 g
Protein: 8.6 g

Pros:
-Easy to make
-Simple list of ingredients
-Low in calories and fat
-Dinner is ready in less than an hour
-Great leftovers (it's almost better the next day!)

Cons:
-Somewhat time consuming to prepare spaghetti squash

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5