Spaghetti squash and fresh vegetables simmered with a quick marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella if you desire – easy, cheap, gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays!

This was inspired after watching a marathon of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but this time we actually decided to go to the nearest DDD restaurant, The Pit Stop^[1] which was featured on the show for their spaghetti squash primavera.

As a spaghetti squash lover myself, I ordered it and loved it and knew I wanted to re-make this at home. Super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you like – I used broccoli, carrots and zucchini but you can use asparagus, eggplant or bell peppers. To speed this up I made the spaghetti squash in the microwave which takes only about 8 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you can make it in the oven, the directions below are for both.

Of course, I had to top mine with fresh mozzarella which was just made and still warm when I bought it this morning! Leave the cheese out for vegan, dairy-free or paleo diets, nutritional info is provided below both ways. This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and you can easily double the recipe to make it 4 servings using a larger saute pan. You can also freeze this once cooked and reheat it in the oven for another day, enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Primavera (with cheese)
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 2 • Size: 1 3/4 cups • Old Points: 7 • Weight Watcher Points+: 8 pt
Calories: 340 • Fat: 14 g • Carb: 38 g • Fiber: 8 g • Protein: 14 g • Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 356 mg (without salt) • Cholest: 34.6 mg

NO Cheese:
Servings: 2 • Size: 1 3/4 cups • Old Points: 4 • Weight Watcher Points+: 5 pt
Calories: 212 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 37 g • Fiber: 8 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 89 mg (without salt) • Cholest: 1 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 small spaghetti squash (you’ll need 2 cups cooked)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced shallots 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup diced zucchini
• 2 cups homemade marinara sauce^[2]
• 1/2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano (optional)
• 3 oz fresh mozzarella (optional)

Directions:


Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and
scoop out seeds and membrane. Season lightly with salt and black pepper;
bake about 1 hour, or longer if needed on a baking sheet, cut side
down. 
If you prefer the microwave, stab the squash with a knife all around and place on a microwave safe dish.
Microwave 7-9 minutes or the skin gives when cut with a knife.

Once cooked, use a fork to scrape the strands out into a bowl.

In a medium saute pan heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, red onion, celery and carrots and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the broccoli and zucchini and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the marinara sauce, increase heat to medium and simmer until the
vegetables are tender crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 cups of the
spaghetti squash, Pecorino Romano and stir, adjust the salt and pepper
to taste and cook 1 minute.

Divide the vegetables in two small casserole dishes, or you can use the shells of the spaghetti squash to make boats, then place under the broiler or in a hot oven until the cheese melts.

References

1. ^{^} The Pit Stop (www.pitstopeats.com)
2. ^{^} marinara sauce (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)