Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Red Wine Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the squash, flesh side down, on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes*, until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash bakes, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic and onion until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir until the paste is incorporated. Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine and stir in the chili powder if desired. Add the grape tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes and rosemary, and cook on very low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will break down and add to the sauce.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the flesh and create the strands of flesh. Add the strands to the sauce mixture and toss to combine. Add in the remaining olive oil. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Cassie’s Notes:
To make the squash a bit easier to halve, stick the whole squash in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes to soften the skin.

* Alternatively, bake the squash whole in the oven at 375 degrees F for one hour until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow the squash to cool. Then cut it in half, remove the seeds and then use a fork to scrape out the strands of flesh, as instructed above.