Baked pasta...minus the pasta

I have been wanting to try Spaghetti Squash for the longest time. The only thing that has been holding me back is the fact that my husband isn't usually keen on trying new things. And being that none of us had ever had it before, he really wasn't too interested. I should probably start off by saying that this was not the most successful meal. While it wasn't a total flop, I did not roast the squash long enough and so the texture was not so good. It was crunchy. Which we all found kind of gross :-) But the flavor was awesome I think I may give this another shot, knowing now that the squash really needs to roast for a long time. I started out in the microwave and moved to the oven. But I think next time I will just do it all on the oven. I also bought a pretty big squash, so next time I will look for a smaller one.

Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole (source: me!)
1 large Spaghetti squash
1 medium zucchini squash, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
16 oz part skim Ricotta cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used homemade), divided

Spray a casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray (I ended up having to use 2 smaller dishes for this one, but a 13x9 pan would probably work.)

Roast the squash in the oven in a pan with a little water for about an hour. It can be roasted whole or cut in half and then roasted, but it's pretty hard to cut through a big raw squash. When the squash has cooled down, slice it in half, remove the seeds, and remove the flesh with a fork.

Saute the zucchini slices in the oil and garlic in a skillet until tender. Set aside.

Combine cheeses (save some mozzarella for sprinkling), herbs and spices (to taste) in a large bowl. Add the squash and most of the sauce to the cheese mixture, saving a small amount of the sauce to put on top of the dish. Pour half of the mixture into prepared pan and and lay on most of the sauteed zucchini slices, reserving some for the top. Pour the rest of the mixture on top, add rest of the sauce, and lay the rest of the zucchini slices over the sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving.