Margherita Spaghetti Squash

I've been on a bit of a spaghetti squash kick. I absolutely LOVE pasta, but have no portion control (or self-control!) when it comes to eating pasta. Here enters spaghetti squash - the flavors and textures of pasta that I crave with a calorie level that enables me to have second or third helpings without spending the rest of the evening clutching my stomach wondering why I kept eating.

I know I'm not the only one. If you're like me and love pasta but maybe need a healthier (but still yummy) option, I recommend trying to substitute with spaghetti squash.

I first found this idea on Hoopfinity (via Pinterest, of course). I altered the recipe a bit to meet our cravings and needs. To be quite honest, I think we used the biggest spaghetti squash imaginable. That was unnecessary. Lesson learned.

Margherita Spaghetti Squash
1 large spaghetti squash
4 roma tomatoes
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (plus more for topping)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. In a baking dish, fill about 1/4 inch with water. Place spaghetti squash cut-side down in water. Cook in oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The spaghetti squash is done when you can easily scrape out the flesh and it looks like stringy spaghetti.

3. While the squash is cooking, dice your tomatoes, chop the basil, and shred the mozzarella if it isn't already shredded.

4. Scrape out the flesh from the spaghetti squash and place in a big mixing bowl. Add the diced tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cup mozzarella. Stir until well-mixed.

5. Scoop mixture back into the spaghetti squash skins. Top with more mozzarella. We really like cheese, so we added another half cup on top.

6. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese starts to brown.

7. Serve immediately either from the squash skin or in a bowl.

How many people this will serve really depends on how big of a spaghetti squash you use and how many other sides you have. We used ours as a main dish and were able to feed 8 people.