*Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo*

Last night we had this for dinner & it was delish.  The original recipe came from The Comfort of Cooking.  However, my friend Laura Vick has tried it before & told me it was one of her all time fav’s!  Check out her blog, here. 

The only part I did not like about the recipe was having to get out the seeds.  Once you think you’ve gotten all of the seeds out … believe me … you haven’t.  And, I am pretty sure any recipe that says “gently” I am not great at because I tend to get a tad bit impatient.  I will say, looking back, it was totally worth it for this recipe staple.

I served mine with a small side of grilled chicken.  After all, I knew I couldn’t get away with just serving Jay O. spaghetti squash ;) 

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash                                                      

1 Tbsp butter

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp flour (I used wheat)

1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)

1 Tbsp cream cheese - 1/3 less fat

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tbsp extra for topping

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, for optional garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

First, prep the squash. Cut spaghetti squash in half using a large sharp knife, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet covered with water. Bake until tender, about an hour.

Once squash is cooked, use a fork to gently scrape the “spaghetti” strands into the center.  

For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute, while stirring. Whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Once hot, add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.  

Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Top each half with a pinch of red pepper flakes and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

P.S.  my pic was so ugly I decided not to post it :)