blissful eats with tina jeffers: Roasted spaghetti squash with mushrooms

Now that Thanksgiving is over it’s time to find a few lighter dishes to keep my waistline in check during the upcoming holiday season.  I love pasta but don’t always love the heavy feeling that I’m left with after I’ve indulged.  Spaghetti squash makes a wonderful substitute for your favorite pasta recipes but you don't have to feel guilty about it.  It has a great texture similar to angel hair pasta and is lightly sweet and goes beautifully with sautéed vegetables, sausage or fresh herbs.  I added the mushrooms to make it a little more filling so it could act as an entrée but on it’s own it makes a lovely side dish with a nice piece or fish or chicken.  Best of all dining on lighter fare like this leaves room for all the holiday cookies and treats that start appearing at this time of the year.

Roasted spaghetti squash with mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 sage leaves

1 clove garlic

8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 

Slice a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the sage leaves and season with salt and pepper, then place cut side down on a baking sheet.

Bake the squash for 45 minutes, or until the squash flesh separates easily into strands with a fork. 

In a skillet over medium heat, saute 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the chopped garlic and mushrooms.  Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and release most of their liquid.  Add the squash to the pan and continue cooking until heated through.  Remove from the heat and toss in the parsley and parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.