What's For Dinner Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash with Sausage, Pesto and Goat Cheese

Hi! If you missed my post last week due to the Thanksgiving shuffle, I posted a really great (and EASY) Barbecue Rubbed Salmon recipe here. This is a good one to tuck away when you're cooking but not in the mood to do a ton of work!

On to the next…

We LOVE spaghetti squash around here. It's versatile (can be subbed for pasta in most any dish) and feels lighter than pasta, even when you're adding sausage and goat cheese to it! I love to keep one on hand and use it to help purge the refrigerator. That half-empty jar of sun-dried tomatoes you've been holding on to? Thrown 'em in with your spaghetti squash! Not sure what to do with last nights leftover baked chicken? Chicken spaghetti squash! That half-eaten bag of spinach? You know what to do…

Here's a combo that we love around here:

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage, Pesto and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 whole spaghetti squash

3-4 oz. Goat Cheese

Package of sausage links (I usually pick up the Applegate Chicken and Apple Sausage)

1 jar artichoke hearts

1 jar sun-dried tomatoes

1 jar pesto (about 6oz)

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Place cut-side down in a foil lined baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
4. Remove spaghetti squash from oven and let cool. 
5. Chop about half of the jar of sun-dried tomatoes and about half the jar of artichokes. Chop sausage into bite-sized pieces.
6. Scoop out insides of spaghetti squash with a fork and toss with goat cheese, sausage, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto.

A note for the kids… When I make this for my family, I set aside a portion of spaghetti squash that I toss with a little bit of butter and serve to the kiddos with chicken sausage and peas!