Spaghetti Squash with Marinera

This recipe won grand prize in a "Taste of Home" for bountiful harvest ideas. In my house we serve it with a breaded chicken breast as Chicken Parmesan. If you wanted to make this a vegetarian meal you could serve it with Lightlife's Chick'n-style smart patties and get the same results. It does need a little something hearty to make it a full meal. My favorite part of this recipe is the squash, it is so much fun and I had no idea that a vegetable could pass as spaghetti. So without further ado...

Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 20 min
Recipe By: Kathryn Pehl

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 4 lbs)
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (or you can substitute for 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes)
1 cup green peppers, diced
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp pepper (don't overdo pepper)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard the seeds.
2. Place the squash, cut side down, on a microwave-safe plate (if your microwave is not wide enough, you can stack one upside-down on top of the other).
3. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 14-16 minutes or until tender.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the tomatoes, green pepper, carrot, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper in oil for 6-8 minutes or until tender.
5. Add tomato sauce; heat through.
6. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands (this is done by gently running the fork over the inside of the squash. You will begin to see the strands appearing, like magic).
7. Place squash on a serving platter; top with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.