Thanks for Chris for his posting on DIYforLife.com today. He has provided a very interesting and healthy take on Spaghetti, gluten-free, mind you. He was nice enough to take pictures and provide detailed instructions and ingredients for this simple, yet delicious recipe. Thanks, Chris! Feel free to submit your own DIY projects as well as recipes. Hey, a recipe can be a project and you do it yourself, right?
Hello, my name is Christopher and I wanted to share my favorite gluten free recipe with DIY for Life. If you had to go gluten free, for some reason or another, and you really miss pasta, then this just might be the right recipe for you. It’s also perfect if you would like to make a healthier version of baked spaghetti. The real beauty of this recipe is you don’t have to measure anything!
Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash – Gluten Free & Healthy
Ingredients:
- 1 medium size spaghetti squash
- salt & pepper to taste
- Italian seasoning to taste
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (or homemade sauce)
- 12 slices of turkey pepperoni (optional)
- 1/4 cup of parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 1/2 cup of Italian cheese blend
Start off with a medium sized spaghetti Squash, which should weigh in around 3-3.5 lbs. I have found these squash to be super hard to cut, so you may want pre-bake the squash at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes to soften up the skin a bit. Just prick the skin with a fork a couple of times.
Once you get the spaghetti squash cut in half, scoop out the insides. They’re a lot like pumpkin guts, albeit a little harder to remove.
After I get the seeds & strands removed from the spaghetti squash, I season the inside with a little salt, pepper & Italian seasoning. Then turn these over onto a baking sheet, lined with foil. Bake at 350-375 for at least 40 minutes. You might need to bake it up to an hour or so.
The squash will be soft to the touch when ready.
Let them cool a little bit, then scrape out the spaghetti squash flesh with a spoon. I tend to make a cut down the middle to get it out easier & it also makes them bite-sized strands. The strands of the flesh will be almost the exact texture of angel hair pasta.
Scrape all the spaghetti squash noodles into a 9×12 baking dish.
Now top this with your favorite jarred marinara sauce, or a homemade sauce. Ours is a homemade sauce with ground turkey, onions & roasted garlic. you can also use any additional optional toppings, like turkey pepperoni (quartered). I like to use a dozen or so slices, just enough to add a little flavor, but not too much as to make it unhealthy.
Now top with you desired amount of cheese. I use about a 1/4 cup of parmigiano-reggiano & 1/4 – 1/2 cup of an Italian blend of cheese (from Whole Foods or similar). I like to add a little bit of salt, pepper & Italian spices on top of the cheese. Then bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is nice & melty.
Let it cool for a few minutes & serve with a nice side salad for a healthy alternative to baked spaghetti. To me, texture has a lot to do with enjoyment of a meal. This recipe is so close in texture to using a real angel hair pasta, it’s awesome for a gluten free alternative! I even think the taste is very similar to traditional baked spaghetti. If you try this out, please let me know if you liked it, or if you varied the recipe. Thanks!
Note: since it’s squash noodles, it may turn out a little watery. However, I don’t think that effects the taste.
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