Scrap the pasta noodles and the ceramic bowls, this dish has everything all wrapped up in one vegetable. 

Spaghetti squash is a seasonal vegetable that is most popular and accessible in the fall months. The squash family is versatile and can be either the heart of or a side to many recipes. 

Add this dish to your fall staples. It is affordable, gluten-free and can be vegan/vegetarian. 

Depending on the squash size this dish serves about 2-3 people. It also makes great leftovers. Take a look at what you’ll need to start. 

Ingredients:

1 small/medium sized spaghetti squash 

1 jar of pasta sauce any flavor* 

A handful of your favorite mushrooms**

¼-½ of a sweet onion 

½ of a bell pepper (color of choice)

A couple tablespoons of olive oil 

Dash of salt and pepper

Handful of shredded cheese of choice***

See end for ingredient modifications. 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a medium baking sheet in tin foil.

Step 2: Slice the squash in half long-ways and scoop out the seeds in the middle. 

Step 3: Season the squash. Drizzle olive oil on the freshly sliced side and coat with salt and pepper. Rub it all in so the whole inside of the squash is coated. Then bake squash inside facing down on the pan for 40 minutes. 

Step 4: Chop onion and heat in a large skillet with olive oil to soften. 

Step 5: Chop pepper and mushrooms. Add to the skillet once onions have begun to soften. 

Step 6: Add sauce and your favorite spices to the same skillet with the veggies. Let warm.

Step 7: Once the squash is cooked (a little golden brown on the inside edges), prepare the noodles. Turn the inside of the squash halves facing up again and start pulling the inside apart with a fork. The squash will begin to come apart in noodle-like strands. Scrap all the way to the outer skin. 

Step 8: Add sauce to both halves of the squash and mix around in the noodles. Top with cheese of choice (mozzarella, parmesan, etc.), place back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown. 

*Instead of a store bought pasta sauce you can make your own with chopped tomatoes, but for the sake of ease a jar is quick 

**Instead of, or in addition to mushrooms you can add 1 lbs of your meat of choice: ground beef, ground chicken, Italian sausage. I prefer to skip meat as much as possible. 

***This dish is vegan if you don’t add the meat, so if you are vegan you can opt for no cheese on top or select your favorite vegan cheese. 

Spaghetti squash bowls are a very nutritious, easy, affordable meal for college students. It’s always nice to take advantage of seasonal vegetables when they’re available and try new things with them. I make this dish at least once every two weeks just for myself and always have at least a half of the squash left over for a future dinner. Just wrap the remaining food in the tinfoil used on the pan previously and stick in the fridge for later. Try to eat leftovers within 3-5 days and reheat in the oven. 

Reach out on social media if you try this recipe or if there are any types of dishes you’d like to see in the future. 

Bon Appétit.