Spaghetti Squash With Italian Herbs

Spaghetti squash is one of those unique vegetables that you can easily transform into a pasta without the use of a spiralizer. With spiralizers being a food trend now (I see zoodle recipes and pins everywhere), you can turn almost any veggie into a pasta. But today we are going old school and using spaghetti squash and a fork to make a veggie noodle “pasta.” So if you didn’t get on the spiralizer band wagon, don’t worry….there is no need with this healthy recipe.

Spaghetti Squash is a winter squash that contains vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber. I like how easy it is to cook, and how fun it is to eat. If you are short on time, you can always cook it in the microwave.

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Herbs

Ingredients

1 Large Spaghetti Squash

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1/8 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1/8 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar

Reduced Fat Cheese (if desired)

Directions

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Rinse off squash and use a knife to poke holes in the squash so steam can escape during cooking. Cook in the oven for 1 hour. All squash to cool slightly before cutting open. Cut open, remove seeds and scrape out strands of squash with a fork, set aside. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add garlic, basil, parsley, black pepper and salt. Stir and heat for a minute or two until fragrant. Add squash strands and mix until warm. Finish with champagne vinegar. Serve and top with cheese reduced fat cheese if desired. For extra protein you can add a little chicken or tofu. (Leftover chicken from the night before makes a great topping)

****Recommendation: Cooking the squash in the oven does take some time so you can do this the night before or pop it in as soon as you get home from work and get in a work out during the cook time. Alternatively, the microwave is another faster option for cooking.