Ever since I discovered the magic of spaghetti squash many years back it has been a favorite veggie for its versatility and neutral, mild taste. I love mostly to substitute it for pasta when I want to avoid carbs and if I top it with a rich sauce like Alfredo, I feel so less guilty.

Spaghetti Squash can be microwaved, simmered in water or baked. I prefer to bake or roast my squash as I like the nuttier flavor and it is less watery cooked in this manner. The hardest part is cutting the squash in half! Some markets will cut the squash for you which is helpful if you know you will be preparing it within a day or two.

Since the roasting time takes about an hour I like to take advantage of my heated oven and throw in other veggies with it, like roasting garlic and as in this time, a whole eggplant. I will use the creamy flesh of the eggplant for paninis or whipped up into a spread.

I found this recipe on Real Simple and knew immediately this was a dish I would love, of course with a bit of personal preference tweaking!

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Ricotta and Gorgonzola

1 3 pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 15 oz container ricotta

1 large egg

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1-2 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

1 ½ cup grated mozzarella

½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down and roast until tender, about 50 – 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (For easier week night meals, I roast the squash the night before.)

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, spinach, garlic, nutmeg, hot sauce, salt and pepper. When the squash has cooled enough to handle, use a fork to gently scrape out the strands of flesh and add to the ricotta mixture. Mix gently to combine.

Transfer the mixture to an 8 inch square baking dish, sprinkle with mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese and bake until browned and bubbling, 18-22 minutes.