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Spaghetti squash is a great way to load up on your veggies AND cut down on excess carbs without feeling like you’re giving up pasta. This recipe is delicious, LOADED with veggie yum yums and makes for a great vegetarian (not vegan) dinner. Mmmmm….

Tip: make a little extra so you can have it for lunch the next day! This recipe also freezes well: make a big portion and divide it in smaller, ready to heat containers to save time throughout the week.

What You Need:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 large can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon basil (dried or fresh)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ pound lowfat or part-skim mozzarella, grated
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Optional: ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pro-tip: To make grating the mozzarella easier, freeze the cheese for about 10-20 minutes— the frozen cheese will be much easier to grate!

What To Do:

1. Cut squash lengthwise and place the halves skin-side down in a baking dish with 1 inch of water. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the squash can be easily pierced with a knife.

2. While the squash is cooking, heat olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion and carrot until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

3. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

4. While the sauce is simmering, remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool enough so it’s easy to handle. Remove the seeds with a spoon.

5. Here’s the fun part: using a fork, scrape the inside flesh of the squash. It should come off in strands (that look like spaghetti pasta!).

6. Turn off the heat, add the squash to the sauce pan and mix well.

7. Now for the baking: Place half of the squash and tomato mixture in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with half of the mozzarella (and a sprinkle of Parmesan, if desired). Add the rest of the squash mixture and cheese to the top (layered like a Lasagna, basically).

8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 15-20 minutes before serving to let the dish set (and to avoid some seriously scalding burns!).

Recipe via The Greatist