My name is Chastidy, and I’m addicted to pasta. Well, I’m actually a fiend for all carbs, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. So when I discovered spaghetti squash, I just couldn’t believe that it could actually be as good as pasta (or sometimes even better!). When you go to the produce section of the grocery store, the squash will be daunting but take my word for it – you HAVE to try this. I’ve done chicken alfredo spaghetti squash, lasagna spaghetti squash, spinach artichoke spaghetti squash, you name it. It is so quick and easy to cook, and depending on what you stuff it with, you might not have to feel guilty about it!

Pile those goodies into the big, yellow boats of squashy goodness.

Pop it in the oven until it’s all hot and gooey and browned.

Voila, dinner’s ready! You don’t have to tell me twice!

I am a firm believer that a side of peppery arugula and fresh shaved parmiggiano reggiano goes with everything, so throw that on your plate too. By the way, spaghetti squash reheats beautifully in the microwave, so take it in to the office and make your coworkers jealous!

Enchilada-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This recipe was inspired by Cooking Canuck’s “Vegetarian Enchilada-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash”: http://www.cookincanuck.com/2014/11/vegetarian-enchilada-stuffed-spaghetti-squash/.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

1 yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 (14 oz) can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup frozen corn kernels (defrosted)

1 3/4 cup enchilada sauce

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

2 green onions, chopped

olive oil

Salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Using a large knife, score the spaghetti squash in a line all the way around lengthwise. Microwave the whole squash for about 5 minutes.
3. Cut the squash in half lengthwise along your knife marks, and use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to remove the pulp and seeds. Drizzle both halves of the squash with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast (insides down) on a cookie sheet for one hour.
4. Once the squash has roasted, remove it from the oven and drag a large fork along the insides of each half to coax out the strands of noodle-like squash. Be careful to leave some flesh on the inside as you will need the squash shells to be able to hold the stuffing. Set the squash strands aside.
5. In a large saute pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, and saute the minced garlic until fragrant. Add the cumin, diced onions, and peppers, and saute until the onions are translucent.
6. Add the spaghetti squash strands to the pan, blend with the onion and garlic mixture, then add the enchilada sauce, black beans, and the corn kernels. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
7. Put the oven on the broiler setting. Scoop the squash and veggie mixture evenly into the two squash shells, and cover with shredded cheese. Sprinkle with green onion, and broil for 5 mins watching carefully to prevent burning.