Smoked Sausage Over Spaghetti Squash

There are so many wonderful things about the fall: beautiful leaves, incredible sunsets, sweater weather, scarves, boots, holidays, campfires, spiced candles...the list goes on and on. But even though this is my favorite time of the year I tend to block out another aspect the chillier weather brings: cold season. I tend to forget about this one every year because I'm too busy being excited that coffee and breads like danishes, muffins, donuts, and pies all become pumpkin flavored. But sadly, pumpkin flavored foods don't prevent you from getting sick...at least not me anyway.

I started noticing cold like symptoms early last week so I tried to do everything you're supposed to do when you're feeling under the weather: eat chicken noodle soup, pop some Tylenol, and get a good night sleep. I even tried drinking Kombucha (a strong probiotic in the form of fermented tea) but alas, I have seceded to the sickness. It's a full blown head cold with congestion that makes my head feel like it weighs twice as much as what it does and a relentless cough that makes me cry when I talk to people. All in all, I feel pretty gross right now and it has left me with a "blah" attitude about everything. Well, almost everything.

Though I feel like I'm stuck in a constant state of indifference because of the cold medicine (I feel like I'm walking in a cloud all of the time) it would take a lot more than a head cold to make me feel "blah" about comfort food - probably my favorite thing about the fall season. Spaghetti squash is a staple this time of year and it was also my first time preparing it at home. Despite the challenge of cutting the squash in half it was super easy to prepare and even easier to eat. And on a cold night (no pun intended) this dish was full of flavor and it paired very well with my pajamas and winter throw blankets.

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 Large Spaghetti Squash
• Olive Oil
• 1 lb. Smoked Sausage
• Organic Tomato Sauce (I used Muir Glen's Crushed Tomatoes with Basil)
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Salt 
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 Large Cloves of Garlic

Cooking Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit
• Cut the squash in half (I encourage you to use a Cleaver Knife but you can also use a large butcher knife. Just be careful cutting the squash in half - let the knife do the work, not your wrist or arm because it is easy to accidentally cut yourself.)
• Remove the seeds from both halves of the squash
• Place the squash on a cookie sheet and sprinkle generously with olive oil
• Add salt and pepper to the inside of the squash
• Place the flat side of each squash half face down leaving the round side facing upward
• Place the squash in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the skin of the squash is tender and is able to be squeezed with your hand (check after letting it cool 10 minutes because it will be very hot to touch)
• Add a Tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and heat over medium heat
• After mincing the garlic add to the oil in the frying pan and let cook for only a minute
• Chop up the sausage and add to the garlic and saute together until the skin on the smoked sausage is slightly browned
• Pour the tomato sauce over the sausage and garlic and heat
• Add 2 Tablespoons of Red Pepper Flakes (more or less based on your preference) into the sauce
• Scoop the squash out of its skin and into the frying pan (you'll see why this squash gets the name "spaghetti squash" since it will scrape out of the skin looking like short, small strands of spaghetti noodles)
• Heat the squash with the marinara and then scoop a serving into a bowl
• On a cutting board slice the fresh mozzarella and then julienne the basil leaves
• Serve the mozzarella on the side and then sprinkle the basil leaves over the top of the sausage and squash medley for an accent and a garnish