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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Not Spaghetti

In my endless quest to be constantly eating pasta at all times but not gain much weight doing so (note to self: this is not possible), I stumbled across a recipe for Spaghetti Squash Primavera on the WW website.

Now, I have heard of using Spaghetti Squash as a pasta substitute before but never quite gotten around to trying it. And this recipe looked so good I could not resist.

The sauce alone is fabulous – bright and tasty and chock full of delicious veggies. I would use it again even with regular ol' pasta. And the spaghetti squash was a pleasant surprise. It was more pasta-like than I anticipated and SO FILLING. I am telling you, a cup or so of this and you are good to go. Not to mention it’s entirely vegetable so any vegetarians out there in need of a new dish to try, this is it.

So let’s get started:

Weight Watchers Spaghetti Squash Primavera

3 pound winter squash, spaghetti variety (2 medium)
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion(s), chopped
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 cup broccoli, florets
1/4 cup yellow pepper(s), chopped
1/4 cup sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained (reserve juice)
6 oz canned tomato paste
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp basil, fresh, chopped
Instructions


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds.



(I used one since I was only serving 2 people, one of whom professed not to be terribly into the whole squash-instead-of-pasta thing)


Place squash, cut sides down, in a large baking dish and prick skin all over with a fork. Bake until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.


Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil; sauté onion and garlic for 1 minute.



Add broccoli and peppers; sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.



Stir in reserved tomato juice, tomato paste, and water; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.



Stir in diced tomatoes and basil; simmer for 1 minute more.



Using a fork, carefully rake stringy squash pulp from shell,


separating it into spaghetti-like strands.



Place 2 cups of squash on each of 4 plates and top each with about 1 1/2 cups of sauce.




Et voila!

This was so hearty and I loved the different textures and tastes not to mention the delicious colors. This would make a lovely side dish as well. And 2 cups = 4 points and believe me, 2 cups is more than enough!

7 comments:

PaperCourt said...

Sounds delish...thanks for sharing!

MiSScNeLLY said...

That looks delicious. I like spaghetti squash and pasta sauce. I will have to try this recipe.

The Mrs. said...

Ive made this and it's fantastic!!!

Mandy said...

This sounds fantastic. Is spaghetti squash hard to find? Is it actually labeled "spaghetti squash" in the grocery store?

Sarah said...

I don't think it's hard to find..I have seen it at most of the grocery stores around here. And it is labeled spaghetti squash..should have a sticker right on it! :-)

Greens and Pinks said...

I have made this and LOVE it. My husband however does not. Oh well. It's in the rotation and I just tell him, can't win 'em all!

Sarah said...

ahaha i know. adam is not really a fan either. he ate a few bites and was like OK SANDWICH TIME.

his loss!