Stuffed Spaghetti Squash from Thames River Melons

Recipe

PrepTime: 15 mins
CookTime: 1 hour
TotalTime: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 2
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 sausages, cooked & diced or crumbled
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 stalks kale, leaves removed from the stem and chopped
• 3 stalks fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup ricotta
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Pierce the spaghetti squash all over, then microwave for 4 minutes. Flip, and microwave for another 4 minutes.
3. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, then scrape out the seeds.
4. Season the inside of the squash with salt & pepper, then set aside.
5. Heat the oil over medium heat in a shallow saucepan. Add 1 piece of diced onion to the pan – when it starts to sizzle you know the pan is hot enough! Add the rest of the onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
6. Next add the bell pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the sausage and garlic, and cook until garlic is fragrant.
8. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are softened and the mixture forms a thick sauce.
9. Add the kale, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes, as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook and stir until kale is wilted and softened, about 5 minutes or so.
10. Remove the sauce from heat and set aside.
11. Next, whisk together the ricotta and milk, and about a ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Now it’s time to assemble the stuffed squash!
13. Sprinkle another ¼ cup mozzarella cheese in the bottom of the prepared spaghetti squash halves.
14. Next, fill each half of the squash with tomato sauce, followed by half of the ricotta mixture.
15. Reserve the remaining cheese for later.
16. Loosely cover the stuffed spaghetti squash with foil (be sure the foil is not touching the mixture inside!), then transfer to the oven.
17. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, top with remaining cheese, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
18. At this point, you should be able to scrape out the squash, along with the filling, mix together, and enjoy!

About Thames River Melons

This recipe was created & photographed by on-farm Registered Dietitian Alex Chesney of Thames River Melons. Check out more of her locally-inspired recipes online.

Alex Chesney, RD First and foremost, Alex really loves food! She grew up on her family’s fruit and vegetable farm Thames River Melons, located in Southwestern Ontario, and spent her time growing, harvesting, and selling their produce. Alex then went on to pursue an education in Applied Human Nutrition at the University of Guelph. After graduating, she completed a dietetic internship in Toronto, where she deepened her knowledge about food and nutrition. Today, she is a Registered Dietitian, and firmly believes that in order to create sustainable and lifelong change, nutrition education should be taught alongside hands-on activities like cooking and growing your own food. In her spare time, Alex can usually be found in the kitchen, trying out new recipes or whipping up her own creations.