Happy Friday! Man-oh-man its been a crazy few weeks! Sorry I have been MIA! The fall foliage in Park City has been popping the last week- bright orange, red and yellow aspens! It’s breathtaking!

I have really been embracing the fall weather with lots of fall inspired dishes and drinks! One of my favorite fall drinks is this Rum and Cider – it’s super refreshing! I am also getting ready to make my absolute favorite fall recipe- Stew in a Pumpkin! You serve the stew right out of the whole pumpkin, it’s a real crowd pleaser!

I feel like one squash that gets over looked in the fall is the delicious spaghetti squash! Everyone is so focused on pumpkins and acorn squash that they forget about spaghetti squash. I was trying to think of a health alternative to the classic lasagna and wanted a fun option for all those gluten and grain free people!

Plus its always fun to have a little “boat” of food on your plate- it makes you feel like a kid again! If you’re looking to make this a vegetarian dish, substitute 3 portobella mushrooms and 1 cup of zucchini for the Italian sausage. Happy eating!

Lasagna-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (Click for printer friendly version)

(Serves 6-8ppl)

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds spaghetti squash (2 medium-sized squash)

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 (about 1lb) package Jennie-O hot Italian Turkey Sausage, decased (can substitute 1lb classic Italian sausage, decased or ground beef)

• 1 large portobello mushroom, cut into cubes

• 1 small zucchini, diced  (about 1 cup)

• 2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach

• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

• 2 cups ricotta

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, poke 5-10 holes in the spaghetti squash, evenly on all sides (This step is very important or the squash might explode). Put each squash on a paper towel in the microwave (individually) and cook on high for 8-10 minutes, turning half way through.Remove the squash from the microwave and allow it to cool for 5 min. **(If you prefer to roast the squash in the oven see directions below).

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until translucent about 5 minutes. Add decased Turkey sausage and cook until well browned, stirring and breaking the turkey into small crumbs. Add mushrooms, zucchini and marinara sauce, stir to combine and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add spinach and stir, cover and remove from heat and allow the spinach to wilt.

3. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, cut it in half. Carefully scoop out the seeds and discard them. Using a fork, shred the inside of the squash, leaving about 1/2 inch of squash in the shell. Mix the shredded squash into the tomato sauce. In a separate bowl mix together ricotta and parsley.

4. Place the cleaned spaghetti squash shells face up in a roasting pan. Divide half of the ricotta mixture between the shells, using a spoon to spread it evenly along the bottom of the shell. Divide 1/2 the tomato sauce between the shells over the ricotta. Top with another layer of ricotta and rest of the tomato sauce. (There may be some extra tomato sauce left over but it makes for great leftovers!)

5. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the squash and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots. (For a more golden top, place the squash under the broiler for a minute or two.)

**To roast the squash in the oven, cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds. Lay the squash halves cut-side down in a roasting pan or other baking dish and add about an inch of water. Roast for 45-60 minutes until soft when poked with a fork. Transfer to a cooling rack until cool enough to handle.

**If you’re looking to make this a vegetarian dish, substitute 3 portobella mushrooms and 1 cup of zucchini for the Italian sausage.