Stuffed spaghetti squash

It's been a long time since I've served stuffed spaghetti squash, though I use the inside strands of the squash often as a gluten free substitute for whole wheat spaghetti. This version uses many of the same mainstays as spaghetti sauce ... without the tomato sauce. It's a little lighter so is nice for these days of winter when the weather is nice enough for us to think spring is on the way!

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, cut in half, seeds removed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced fennel (or celery)
1/4 cup sliced sundried tomatoes
2 Tbs. diced jalapeno peppers or pepperoncini (optional)
2 Tbs. white wine
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1 tsp finely chopped basil
1 tsp finely chopped oregano
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
1 chicken andouille sausage, cooked, drained of fat, then thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cook the spaghetti squash in a covered microwave save dish for about 5 minutes. Test for doneness by pulling at the strands of squash on the side. If the squash doesn't want to break apart into strands, continue cooking for 1 minute intervals, testing after each minute. Keep the squash covered, allowing it to continue to cook by steaming, when it's removed from the microwave. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a non stick skillet. Add the onion and cook until it's translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper, mushrooms, fennel or celery, and sundried tomatoes. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 more minutes. Add the wine, vegetable stock, spices and sausage. Remove the strands from each half of the squash, placing them directly into the cooking pan. Stir to combine, continue cooking until everything is hot. Taste, adding salt and pepper if you need to. I usually find that the sausage is both tasty and salty enough to flavor the stuffing without adding additional salt. Pour half of the mixture into each half of the squash and serve.

Serves 2

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Many commercial spaghetti sauces have a lot of added sugars. Instead of sugar, this sauce relies on fresh spices and spicy sausage for flavor.