Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I could have sworn I took a photo of this dish. Well, it looked like any other delicious red sauce based casserole. You'll just have to take my word for it.

I got the idea for this dish from $5 dinners. They called their version Spaghetti Squash and Chicken Bake.

Here is my version:
1 humongous Spaghetti squash
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1/2 c or so mozzarella cheese
1 tsp your favorite Italian spice blend (I used Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle)
Handful of Kalamata olives, finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Chop your monster squash in half. Scoop out the seeds 'n' guts and throw them away. Place 1 half of the squash cut side down on microwave safe dish with 1/2 c water. Cover with plastic wrap. Nuke for 8-10 minutes. Repeat with remaining half of squash. (You could bake the squash in the oven for 45 min at 350. I'm a microwave girl so I use it when I can to save time.) Once squash is cool enough to touch, scrape out noodle like flesh with a fork. Place in a large bowl. (My squash had a lot of liquid so I let hang out in a strainer in the sink for a while.)

Meanwhile, in a large pan, saute onions, garlic and sausage until sausage is browned. Throw this into the bowl with the squash. Add your pasta sauce, spices and olives, and stir until combined. Place in oven safe baking dish and top with mozzarella. Cook for 20-30 min until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted. (You can also prepare this dish the night before and heat it up for dinner the next day.) Let the dish sit 10 minutes before serving.

This dish would also taste fantastic with other veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, roasted peppers, finely shredded carrots, etc. Add whatever floats your boat!