What a delicious alternative to spaghetti. You don’t even have to be a vegetable lover to really enjoy this dish. It’s topped it with a yummy veggie tomato sauce.  Each serving has 97 calories and 3 grams of fat. Works perfectly as a vegetarian meal or as a side dish for beef, chicken or fish.
Ingredients
- 1 (~3½ lbs) spaghetti squash
- 1½ cups onions, chopped
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 medium tomatoes, (2½ cups) chopped or 2½ cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 3 medium zucchini (about 3 cups) sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- ¼ cup fresh snipped basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil.
- To cook spaghetti squash in the oven: Using the tip of a sharp knife, pierce the squash in several places. Place on baking pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until tender. To cook the spaghetti squash in the microwave: Pierce the squash in several places with a fork. Place in microwave and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until soft. Let stand for 5 minutes or so afterward, to finish steaming.
- Meanwhile, in a large nonstick pan, cook onions in olive oil, until tender. Add tomatoes, zucchini, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring often or until the zucchini is crisp-tender. Keep warm.
- Once spaghetti squash is cooked, cool slightly and carefully slice in half. Remove seeds and discard. Use a fork to shred squash into long strands in a bowl.
- To serve: Place the spaghetti squash on a serving platter or individual plates. Pour sauce over the squash. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Makes 8 servings (each serving, ⅛ of recipe)
Food Facts
Spaghetti squash is a bright yellow, football-shaped vegetable with pale yellow, stringy flesh, that resembles spaghetti when cooked. It has a slightly sweet flavor. Spaghetti squash is available year-round with the peak season from fall through winter. Spaghetti squash originated in Mexico.
Healthy Benefits
Spaghetti squash is a healthy alternative to pasta. It is praised for containing few calories, no fat or sodium. It’s low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. It makes a wonderful choice if you’re on a low-carb diet. Topped with tomato sauce boosts the levels of vitamin C.
Shopping Tips
Choose spaghetti squash that are hard and smooth with an even pale yellow color. Avoid greenish squash which is still immature or those with bruised or damaged spots. Store un-cut spaghetti squash for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
Prep Tips
It’s easier to shred the spaghetti squash if you use an oven mitt or dishtowel to hold the halved squash at an angle. Use a fork to rake the stringy pulp from the warm shell into a bowl.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints 0-Blue
WW SmartPoints 0-Green
WW POINTS PLUS 2 Â
Food Facts
Spaghetti squash is a bright yellow, football-shaped vegetable with pale yellow, stringy flesh, that resembles spaghetti when cooked. It has a slightly sweet flavor. Spaghetti squash is available year-round with the peak season from fall through winter. Spaghetti squash originated in Mexico.
Healthy Benefits
Spaghetti squash is a healthy alternative to pasta. It is praised for containing few calories, no fat or sodium. It’s low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. It makes a wonderful choice if you’re on a low-carb diet. Topped with tomato sauce boosts the levels of vitamin C.
Shopping Tips
Choose spaghetti squash that are hard and smooth with an even pale yellow color. Avoid greenish squash which is still immature or those with bruised or damaged spots. Store un-cut spaghetti squash for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
Prep Tips
It’s easier to shred the spaghetti squash if you use an oven mitt or dishtowel to hold the halved squash at an angle. Use a fork to rake the stringy pulp from the warm shell into a bowl.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints 0-Blue
WW SmartPoints 0-Green
WW POINTS PLUS 2 Â
| SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving (each serving, 1/8 of recipe, not including Parmesan cheese) 97 calories, 3g fat, 0g sat. fat, 2g protein, 17g carbs, 5g fiber, 152mg sodium, 7g sugar |
| FACTS:Â for Freestyle Points 8 calories, 0g sat. fat, 0g protein, 0g sugar |
Skinny Facts
Serving: 0.125recipeCalories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSodium: 152mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gPlus Points: 2
