Spaghetti Squash

Until a few years ago, I never made or ate spaghetti squash but recently, it's on regular rotation.  I haven't been eating a lot of pasta lately and I've found that spaghetti squash is a good pasta sauce delivery device.  Then, I found this spaghetti squash casserole recipe that was delicious.  I made it to go with instant pot chicken parmesan and the whole meal was amazing.  It's gluten free and vegetarian so will make a good addition to a meal as a side dish or would be a good main dish as well.  You could also add some cooked protein to this (sausage, chicken) when you toss it all together before baking.

Spaghetti Squash & Ricotta Casserole (6-8 side dish servings)

3 pound spaghetti squash (halved and seeded)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups grape tomatoes (halved)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 oz baby spinach
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt, pepper, olive oil

Bake spaghetti squash in the oven or cook it in the instant pot until tender and the squash can easily be scooped out with a fork.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the onion until golden and tender, 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and garlic; stir until tomatoes start to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add spinach, stir until it's wilted (about a minute), and remove from heat.

Scoop the spaghetti squash strands into the skillet and toss to coat.  Stir in ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 2 T of the Parmesan and the basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake until bubbly around the edges and golden brown, 15-20 minutes.