I’m firmly in the camp that vegetables need to stop trying to be pasta. And that black beans have no place in brownies. Like spiralized zucchini should never be used in place of pasta! The water content of zucchini alone will leave your plate a soggy mess. But Spaghetti Squash Ragu is not an imposter, if you ask me.
This Spaghetti Squash Ragu is its own thing entirely. It’s a vegetable that happens to kinda sorta look like pasta and, when you dress it up, you almost forget you’re eating something good for you.
Dealing with spaghetti squash can seem like a daunting task if you’ve never worked with it before but it’s surprisingly easy. It’s like cutting up a melon: slice in half, scoop out the seeds and guts and voila! I suggest cutting the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise because it’s easier to work with.
I got this Spaghetti Squash Ragu recipe from one of my college roommates. Apparently, her mom has been making it FOREVER. I’ve been making it for nearly a decade now and will continue to make it for as long as I can cook.
Spaghetti Squash Ragu is great because you can completely customize it to your tastes and whatever is in your fridge. Don’t have bell peppers? Fine! Sub in chopped mushrooms. Do you have some spinach that’s about to go bad? Throw it into the mix! Feel free to use this recipe as more of a guide than something you have to strictly follow.
Spaghetti Squash Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- 3-4 italian turkey sausage links
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Shaved parmesan, to taste
- Fresh parsley, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F and slice spaghetti squash longways. Scoop out the seeds and guts. Place spaghetti squash face up in a baking dish or on a pan. Drizzle olive oil over both sides and season with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes.
While the spaghetti squash is baking, prepare your ragu mix. Chop up your bell peppers and onion and mince your garlic. Set aside.
Heat a medium-large pan over medium heat. Remove italian turkey sausages from casings and cook through. Make sure you break up the sausage as it cooks so you have bite-size pieces. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the hot pan, add your bell peppers and onion and saute for about 10 minutes or until your peppers reach your desired softness. Add in your minced garlic and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add cooked italian turkey sausage back to the mix and pour 1/2 of your marinara into the pan. Mix well.
Remove spaghetti squash from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Working with oven mitts on, fork the spaghetti squash so that the insides give you a spaghetti shape. You can remove spaghetti from the squash and serve spaghetti squash ragu in a bowl or eat directly from the squash. Top with additional parmesan and fresh parsley (optional).
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