Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole

Here is a great way to get all the tastes we love about pizza without all the unnecessary carbs and calories.  My whole family loves it!

In this casserole, we create our own flavorful pizza/pasta sauce.  The store bought pasta sauces often hide sugar and all kinds of preservatives.  Making your own allows you to know exactly what is into your food.   As you can see, I used turkey pepperoni as a topping but feel free to get creative and add your favorite pizza toppings!  This casserole serves 6-8.  Pair this dish with a side salad for a complete meal.  Leftovers heat up wonderfully for lunch the next day!

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy!)
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1-4 oz can of tomato paste
• 1-15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1-14.5 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup of red wine (optional)
• 2 cups of shredded colby jack or mozzarella cheese
• your favorite pizza toppings (I used turkey pepperoni)

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Place open side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes.  Let the squash cool for 10 minutes.

2.  While the squash is cooking, chop your green bell pepper, onion, garlic, and basil.

3.  In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil  over medium-high on the stove.  Once the oil is warm, add the green pepper, onion, Italian Seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion becomes translucent.

4.  Add Garlic, basil, and drained diced tomatoes.  Cook for an additional 3- 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5.  Add the can of tomato paste and stir into the mixture.  If you are using wine, add the wine and let the wine reduce for about 3-5 minutes then add the tomato sauce.  If you are not using the wine, add the tomato sauce after you have stirred the paste into the mixture.  Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low.

6.  Once the squash has cooled, remove the strands with a fork and place into the  sauce pan.  Stir the spaghetti squash in with the sauce then pour mixture into a 9X13 casserole dish and spread evenly.

7.  Sprinkle the top evenly with cheese and left over basil.  Evenly spread out your pizza toppings.  Place dish into the oven for 15 minutes.  Let the dish cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Hope you all enjoy this healthy dish!  Let me know what you think in the comments below!