Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole

In my house, January is all about combining warm, comforting food with healthy options. It's also time to use up the bounty of winter squash still hanging around the kitchen.

And what better way than to combine a healthy winter squash like spaghetti squash with my own sauce, italian sausage and mozzarella cheese for an oven-baked casserole?

Spaghetti squash doesn't really taste like spaghetti. It just comes out in strands, hence the name. But it does have its own flavor and texture. I can't trick myself into thinking I'm actually eating pasta--I just embrace it for what it is. Squash. Squash coated with yummy tomato sauce and salty, creamy cheese with hunks of mildly spicy sausage. Now that's some good stuff.



Baked Spaghetti Squash

1/2 cooked spaghetti squash (see below for cooking instructions)
about 2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/4 pound italian sausage, cooked and cut up into bite-sized pieces
about 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Grease a pie plate or casserole dish and using a fork, separate spaghetti squash into strands while holding over prepared dish to direct squash into dish; top with sauce, sausage, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

With a sharp knife, stab spaghetti squash all over and place on a paper-towel lined microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 7 minutes. Turn over and microwave on high another 5-7 minutes (or more), depending on the size. Check squash with an oven-mitt-covered hand--when squash yields to gentle pressure, it's done.

Carefully remove hot squash from microwave to a cutting board. Remove stem and halve lengthwise. Be very careful of the steam! Remove seeds and enjoy.

Farmer's Market Foray

One of my pals has a house she rents a few towns away, and is in the process of cleanup to ready the house for sale. I've been going with her... it's always good to help a friend spiffy up a house.

Along the way is our favorite farmer's market stand, where they sell the produce they've grown. In the last week I've purchased an eggplant, a hubbard squash, two spaghetti squash, a bunch of beets, three seckel pears and a large head of cauliflower, most of which I have no idea how to use or what they taste like. Well, except for the eggplant and cauliflower. I'm an old pro at those.

My first taste test was the seckel pears.

According to my internet research, the seckel pear is also dubbed the sugar pear, and is reportedly best for eating out-of-hand. That was not my experience.

They were okay, but the skin was rather thick and, well, they weren't as sweet as I'd like in a pear. Maybe they weren't ripe enough?

The size was nice, though--the perfect amount of treat. That is, if it had been the treat I had expected it to be.

Conclusion: I'd give it another try, but let it ripen a bit more to see if they truly are as sweet and delicious as everyone else seems to claim.

As for the other produce, I'd love to hear from anyone with ideas for those squash and the beets, and I'd love some new ideas for cauliflower and eggplant.

Mrs.W