SPAGHETTI SQUASH LASAGNA [VEGETARIAN & GLUTEN FREE]

So I’ll first warn you that this lasagna won’t come out in beautiful stacked layers, which is why I didn’t try to show you a gorgeous slice. It’s definitely a little messier since you’re using small strands of squash and not big noodles. Trade offs, people. So I’d recommend serving this in a bowl and not on a plate. There, we got that out of the way. Now let’s talk about the recipe. This spaghetti squash lasagna tastes like cheesy comfort food but without all the calories and carbs!

INGREDIENTS

·      1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 cups cooked)

·      2 cups of marinara sauce

·      1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

·      1 1/2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella

·      Handful of fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Preheat the oven to 400.

2.   Carefully slice your spaghetti squash in half. (Be careful!)

3.   Scoop out the seeds and flip them cut side down on a large microwave safe plate.

4.   Add a little water to the bottom of the plate (to create steam) and microwave on high for 10 minutes.

5.   In a small casserole dish (mine was 6 X 8) add a thin layer of tomato sauce to the bottom.

6.   Combine the rest of the tomato sauce with the ricotta cheese.

7.   Once the spaghetti squash is done in the microwave, scoop out the insides with a folk. (It’ll make little “strands”) but be careful, it’ll be hot!

8.   Then layer in spaghetti squash over the sauce.

9.   Top with sauce and repeat with spaghetti squash.

10. Cover the whole pan with mozzarella cheese and cover with aluminum foil.

11. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

12. Turn to broil for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the top becomes brown and bubbly.

13. Roughly chop the fresh basil and sprinkle over top!

Here are a few tips/notes:

·         Microwave the squash ahead of time significantly reduces the time to make this, but if you want to roast the squash in the oven, that’s fine. You’ll probably need to roast it for 20-30 minutes, and then continue on with the rest of the steps.

·         The nutritional information (below) is for part skim cheeses. Do NOT use fat free or it won’t taste nearly as good. You can use full fat cheese if you like, but the nutritional stats will be a bit higher.

·         To reduce the watery-ness of the squash, you can press it in a mesh strainer after removing from the squash shell. It won’t get rid of all the moisture, but it can help.

·         If you let the dish sit for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven, it’ll be slightly easier to dish up.

Believe it or not, 1/4 of this whole pan is less than 300 calories and 18g of protein! I KNOW.

Source;click here

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