Spaghetti Squash and Red Pepper Sauce

It's time for Spaghetti Squash!! Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite vegetables, and its the perfect noodle replacement for this red pepper tomato sauce. This dish is so hearty, you wont even realize its completely meat free. I could probably live happily eating this for lunch every day. Its easy, cheap, and good for you too! 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash $3.76
• 2 Red Bell Peppers $1.34
• 1 Small Yellow Onion $1.06
• 2 Cloves Garlic $0.08
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes $0.10 (optional)
• 1 15oz Can Diced Tomatoes $0.69
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Basil $1.00
• 1/4 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt $0.38

Serving Size: 1/5 Spaghetti Squash and 1/2 cup sauce

Total Servings: 5

Price Per Serving: $1.67

Nutrition (per serving):

      Calories: 96

      Carbs: 20 g

      Fat: 1 g

      Protein: 4 g

 First make the sauce. Preheat your oven to 500. Spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray and place your peppers on it. roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes turning 2 or 3 times during the roasting.

The skins should char and turn black. When you take them out of the oven, cover with foil and let sit for 20 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Then remove the charred peel from the outside and cut the peppers in half, then remove the stems and seeds. You should get something that looks like the middle picture below. Chop the peppers into small pieces.

While the peppers are roasting go ahead and chop your onion, basil, and garlic.

Heat a pan over medium high heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes until they have softened. Then add in the tomatoes, peppers, basil, and red pepper flakes. 

Cook for about 10 minutes until everything has stewed together. Then transfer the mixture to a blender and add in the greek yogurt. Pulse the mixture a few times until the sauce is smooth, then set is aside.

To cook the spaghetti squash, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take your spaghetti squash and cut off the top stem. then slice in half lengthwise. 

Scoops out the seeds using a spoon. Then place face down on a baking sheet and add about a cup of water to keep the squash from burning.

Bake for 40 minutes until tender, then let cool for another 20 minutes. When the squash is warm enough to handle, take a fork and begin to scrape down the sides. the squash should break up into pieces that look like spaghetti. Scrape out all of the squash and set it aside. I probably shouldn't have used a yellow bowl..

Divide the spaghetti squash into 5 servings, then top with about a half a cup of sauce. Top with some more fresh basil and enjoy! 

Happy Cooking!