Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

This dish uses spaghetti squash in place of lasagna noodles. It is really good people! I did some prep the day before: baked the spaghetti squash and removed from its skin, cooked the Italian sausage with the chopped onion and shredded the mozzarella cheese. That way the next day was simply assembling the dish and baking. I used hot Italian sausage and think next time around will use Sweet Italian sausage; for those who prefer a less spicy dish. One could also use ground beef or ground turkey; although the sausage give a nice umph.  I am going to serve with a green salad. Thank you for dinner!

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pound spaghetti squash (one large or two small)
• sea salt
• 4 ounces grated parmesan cheese
• 12 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• 25 ounces thick marinara sauce
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 16 ounce ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• ground pepper
• chopped fresh parsley

Direction:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Pierce whole squash in several places and microwave on high 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Much easier to cut!

Cut spaghetti squash in half and cut the two halves again in two rounds for a total of four. Deseed the rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet and salt lightly. Bake for one hour turning halfway through. Set aside to cool.

Once squash is cool; run a fork around the inside of the rounds to shred the "noodles". Set aside in a bowl.

Cook the Italian sausage in a skillet and once cooked through; using paper towels pat out excess fat.

Return to skillet and add onion and cook till onion is soft. Set aside to cool.

Combine beaten egg, ricotta cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and half of the parmesan. 

Combine the marinara sauce and the cooked sausage and onion.

Grease a 13x9-inch pan.

Place a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Next distribute the 1/2 spaghetti squash ( I usually add just a thin layer; saving extra spagetti squash for other recipes) evenly atop the meat sauce. Add 1/2 the ricotta mixture and 1/2 the mozzarella. Repeat layers; reserving enough meat sauce to be the last layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 parmesan cheese on top. 

Cover with foil and bake for about one hour; Take foil off the last 10-15 minutes. Cool briefly and cut into slices.