Italian Baked Turkey and Spaghetti Squash

It is the holiday season which means I am sitting in my home with hours to kill. I could be studying for the MCAT or whatever, or I could cook. I chose cooking.

You have seen both of these items in the past featured on The Hungry Lightweight. So it is time to put them together in an interesting way. I could have put this into one large baking pan, but my babushka conveniently hid it so I had to use two.

It turned out delicious and was a nice little surprise for mother dearest upon her arrival after a 12 hour shift of being an ER nurse.

Italian Baked Turkey and Spaghetti Squash 

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (yields 4-6 cups of strands)

1 lb 99% lean ground turkey breast

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

29 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup low fat ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and slice the squash in half and remove the seeds. On a baking sheet, bake the halves, cut side down, 45-55 mins.
2. Once cooled, use a fork to remove the strands into a bowl and drain if possible.
3. Spray a large skillet and brown the turkey over medium heat and then set aside.
4. Spray a large pot, and saute the onion with garlic over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
5. Add the diced tomatoes and seasonings to the onion-garlic pot, and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add in the turkey and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. In a food mixer, add the ricotta cheese and egg, and blend until smooth.
8. In one large casserole dish or two smaller ones, line the bottom with the spaghetti squash strands.
9. Pour the ricotta cheese mixture over it and spread evenly.
10. Pour the contents of the pot over the ricotta and spread evenly. 
11. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
12. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins.
• Depends on how deep and large the dish. It should be bubbling a bit and the cheese should be fully melted and even a little browned.

Nutritional Information (1/6th of the recipe)

Calories 198, Fat 4.2g, Cholesterol 77mg, Sodium 146mg, Carbohydrates 16.5g, Dietary Fiber 2.1g, Sugars 5.9g, Protein 24.5g