Spaghetti Squash with Puttanesca Sauce

Spaghetti Squash with Puttanesca Sauce is not one of those throw together after work dinners. It takes time. Mostly, it takes time to cook the squash. I guess if you get home at 5pm and don't mind eating until 7 this could be a weeknight dinner but if you are like me, you walk in the door at 5:30 or 6 and want to have someone (preferably named Alice) serve you a drink, then serve you dinner, then clean it up. Alice doesn't show up at my house but then neither do the cleaning fairies, the little rat bas&%$ds.

For a meal the isn't hard (in fact it is downright easy. Perfect for the lazy cook like me) but takes a bit of time, it sure is yummy.

Spaghetti Squash with Puttanesca Sauce

1 small to medium, depending on your family size, Spaghetti squash
1 jar Puttanesca, spaghetti, marinara or other jarred sauce.
(sure you could make you own but hey it was Sunday, my day of rest)

• Pierce squash all over with a fork
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hour depending on the size of the squash
• Cut in half lenghtwise, scrape out guts (seeds and stuff)
• With tines of a fork scrape the meat of the squash. It will look like spaghetti. Cool huh?
• Top with sauce and enjoy

One small squash make 4 servings or so.

I chose a small squash with a huge sticker.
Take said sticker off.
Wash squash.
I know you are not going to eat the outsides. I'm just finicky that way.
It has do with the piercing and the possibility of germs getting into the food via the fork to flesh process. Yeah, I'm weird. I know.
Pierce all over with a fork.
Place on baking sheet in a 350 degree oven.
This is the perfect opportunity to go all green and such by not waste electricity or heat up your house for just a single squash,
toss some potatoes or mmmmm....sweet potatoes on that baking sheet.

You know you'll use them during the week.
Be like me. Be efficient and green.
Be lazy.

This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven and cools.
It should ooze a bit.
Don't attempt to hack this thing open until it cools enough to handle.
It will still be warm in the middle and the sauce will be hot.
Oh, don't forget to warm up the sauce.

You'll want to take the guts out.
Sort of like that Halloween pumpkin.
You know the one.
The one where you attempt to make a ghoulish face but end up with a couple of lopsided triangles and a half-a$$ed smile.
Or is that just me?

It should look kind of like this.
Your product may vary.
Manufacturer makes no guarantees of product attractiveness.

Now, start scraping with a fork.
Purty neat, huh?
Looks just like spaghetti.
Freaks me out every time.

Let's look at the amazing kungfu spaghetti action one more time.
Yep, still cool.

Uh huh, still cool.

Top with your favorite sauce.
(Let's try and keep it meatless, please)

Enjoy
Gawd, it looks so good I want to eat it again.
Oh wait, I can. I brought leftovers for lunch today.
Is it lunch time yet?

Even tho it takes awhile to cook the squash this meal comes together really quick. It is one of those sit around and wait types. While it cooks you could clean house, wash the car, take out the trash, take a nice long bubble bath, read a book, drink a glass of wine or what I did. Drink a glass of wine while reading a book in a tub of steaming water and bubbles. NOT! Or at least not the steaming bathtub of bubbles part.

This makes a wonderful meatless meal for any day that you decide to go meatless. It doesn't have to be Monday. Pick a day, any day.

Love,
M