Easy Weeknight Dinner: Baked Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

So, I subscribe to this awesome blog, Two Peas and Their Pod.  I just love their recipes, their photos are fantastic, and their posts are well written.  A couple of weeks ago, I saw they posted this recipe for Baked Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.  I knew immediately I’d have to try this one!  It was right up my alley – I love roasted red peppers, and I am also a fan of spaghetti squash.  Plus, it was very healthy since it was pretty much all vegetables.  And the best part was that there was no cream in the sauce!  I hate it when I see a recipe that sounds good, and when I get to the ingredients, there’s a cup of heavy cream listed.  I’m just not willing to go there, so the fact that this used Greek yogurt really caught my eye.

Well, I can’t say enough about this.  It was so delicious.  Tim and I both loved it, and it was super easy to make.  I absolutely adored this sauce and have big plans to make it with all kinds of other stuff.  First up, probably tortellini.  Heck, I’d even make it in large quantities and eat it as soup!  It’s that good!

I’ve said before that sometimes I roast my own red peppers, but sometimes I use store bought.  It kind of depends on how much time I’ll have and the price of the peppers.  Now the Farmer’s Market is over for the season, and for the price of two regular red peppers, I can buy a jar that has two in it already roasted.  So, I went that route this time, which made this super quick.  Great for a healthy, easy weeknight meal.  Perfect for Meatless Monday!

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

From Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 roasted red bell peppers, coarsely chopped (store bought or roasted yourself)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• about 20 leaves of fresh basil, torn or coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut open the spaghetti squash lengthwise.  Drizzle both sides with extra virgin olive oil (about one tablespoon each half) and season with salt and pepper.  Lay the squash halves face-up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Roast for 30 minutes.  Turn the squash face down and roast for approximately another 20-30 minutes, until the squash gives easily when you squeeze it with tongs.

Meanwhile heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt and basil leaves. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender.  Just be careful not to burn yourself.  Puree the sauce until it’s smooth, with some texture remaining.

When the squash is done baking, let it cool for a couple of minutes.  Scrape the flesh of the squash with a fork to make long strands. Top spaghetti squash with the creamy roasted red pepper sauce.

Enjoy!