Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways | All Things Lovely

I try my hardest to live a healthy lifestyle and eat as clean as possible. But I’m not hard on myself. I give myself grace. I let myself eat the donut every once in a while, and when I’m out on a date with my husband, or out to eat with friends, I order whatever I want.

Because I don’t want to limit myself in life. I don’t always want to feel deprived. I love the way I feel when I’m nourishing my body and working out regularly. My body rewards me for it. I’m not a size 0 anymore but I’m comfortable in my skin and I’m healthy! I don’t want to be the one eating a salad and a fruit cup every time I go out with my friends. Those are special occasions, and I should be able to treat myself. If I went out with my friends 3 times a week, ordering whatever I wanted wouldn’t be so smart. But if it’s every once in a while, I want to enjoy myself. And I should!

It’s all about finding your balance. Whatever that means to you.

However, like I said above, 80% of the time I eat pretty dang clean. And I’m proud of myself for making my health a priority and eating nourishing foods (Follow me on Instagram and watch my stories to see what clean and paleo eats I make every night for dinner!). But, sometimes I just want pasta.

I LOVE italian food, so if I let myself eat pasta every time I was craving it, I would NOT have the body I’m so comfortable with now, ha! But I recently discovered something to help my pasta craving…Spaghetti Squash! I was wary of trying spaghetti squash because, I hate squash. Yuck! Everyone kept telling me it doesn’t really taste like squash and I didn’t believe them. But I’m here to tell you, as an extremely picky eater myself, it really doesn’t taste like squash! Next on my list to try is zoodles. I didn’t believe everyone that told me they don’t even taste like zuchinni but maybe they’re right.

So today I’m sharing with you two SUPER easy ways to cook spaghetti squash for a quick, delicious, and clean weeknight meal. Let’s get started!

Spaghetti Squash Marinara

Yes, this is as easy as it sounds. You’ll need:

Spaghetti Squash
Olive Oil
Salt + Pepper
Ground Beef
Bertolli Marinara Sauce
Mozzerella Cheese (optional)

Here’s how to prepare:

Cut your spaghetti squash in half long ways (they can be kind of tough. I find if you first pop it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, its much easier to cut into), and scrape out the seeds
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Spray your baking dish with non-stick spray, and add just a splash of water to the bottom
Add your spaghetti squash face down, and roast for 40 minutes at 400 degrees
While the spaghetti squash is cooking, drizzle olive oil in a skillet and heat
Add your ground beef and cook until the meat is browned. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drain.
Add in your Bertolli Marinara (I like the garlic and oilve oil flavor) and stir until combined
Once your spaghetti squash is finished roasting, grab a fork, and shred the spaghetti squash out into a bowl. It should look like pasta noodles!
Top with your marinara meat sauce and serve!

There you have it! It was just as easy to cook as regular spaghetti, and it’s much lower in calories and carbs!

Chicken Parm Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This one is a little higher in calories because it’s topped with cheese, but still low in a carbs and a super healthy alternative to regular chicken parm!

You’ll need:

Chicken Breast
Spaghetti Squash
Bertolli Marinara Sauce
Parmesan Cheese- Shredded
Mozzerella Cheese
Salt + Pepper
Garlic Powder

Here’s how to make it:

Cut your spaghetti squash in half long ways (they can be kind of tough. I find if you first pop it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, its much easier to cut into), and scrape out the seeds
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Spray your baking dish with non-stick spray, and add just a splash of water to the bottom
Add your spaghetti squash face down, and roast for 40 minutes at 400 degrees
While your spaghetti squash is roasting, cut your chicken breast into cubes
Drizzle a skillet with olive oil and heat
Add the chicken, stirring until cooked through
Add the marinara sauce and stir until combined
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Stir until melted
Once your spaghetti squash is finished roasting, use a fork to shred the squash, but don’t scrape it out! Add the chicken/marinara mixture to the “boat”
Top with mozzerella cheese and serve!

The “boat” acts like a bowl and you can scoop the spaghetti squash right out!

I love cooking up one of these dishes whenever I’m craving italian food! It’s delicious and comforting but also not too much of a compromise. They are meals I can still feel good about eating. We love to use Bertolli sauces in our house because they taste authentic. As if it were homemade, but it saves me the time of actually making it from scratch! Francesco Bertolli started his business in 1865 in a tiny shop in Lucca, Tuscany. He sold on the best quality wine, cheese, olives, and olive oil. The company has continued that practice today by selling on the best and most fresh ingredients for your home cooked meal. Experience the Tuscan Way with Bertolli!