Baked Spaghetti Squash with Hot Sausage Sauce
As someone who usually feels a little shitty after easy a huge bowl of pasta, spaghetti squash is such a great alternative when I’m in the mood for making a Sunday sauce. In this case, I’ve made a hot sausage red sauce that I used to make quite a bit in college.
I don’t make many of my recipes exactly the same each time I make them. For instance, for these I used extra-creamy ricotta with parmesan reggiano, while other times I’ve added mozzarella.
Make 4 servings (2 spaghetti squashes)
Ingredients
Sauce (this will make some extra)
16oz ground hot sausage
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced onion
2 T tomato paste
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t crushed red pepper
2 28oz can crushed tomato
2 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
Other
2 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt & pepper
15 oz ricotta
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan reggiano
1 clove garlic, minced
more fresh basil for garnish
Directions
To make the sauce heat your pan on medium. Cook your sausage and drain any excess grease. Then add your onions and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Combine, coating the ingredients with the tomato paste.. Add the crushed tomatoes and basil and stir. Let the sauce simmer for at least 2 hours or longer for optimal flavor.
Preheat your oven to 400.
Cut your spaghetti squash in half. Brush or spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet. Cook for 40 minutes.
In the meantime combine the ricotta with half of the grated parm, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
When your squash is done, use a fork to pull the squash from each of the skins. add about a 1/2 cup of sauce and a heaping tablespoon of ricotta to each half squash. Combine until the spaghetti squash noodles are coated. Add a bit of sauce to the top of each, along with dollops of the remaining ricotta. Then sprinkle the rest of the parmesan and the fresh basil.
Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Feel free to put the broiler on for the last few minutes if needed.