Everything Spaghetti Squash Pasta

I have been wanting to use spaghetti squash for awhile now but I wasn't brave enough to make it the base of a whole meal. With lots of leftovers in the fridge I decided to make a variation of a pasta Miles and I love because it is very filling while being about 550 calories a serving. This variation is lower in calories, has twice as much meat and makes even more food than the previous version.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 3 oz angel hair pasta
• 6 oz pesto chicken (from trader joes)
• 3-4 slices frozen turkey bacon
• 1 onion
• 2-3 handfuls cherry tomatoes
• 1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 tbsp Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut squash in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until a fork an be inserted easily. Allow to cool while following the next steps.
3. Place cherry tomatoes on the pan used to cook the squash. Add salt and pepper and cook until the skins burst.
4. Cut onion into slivers. Caramelize the onions in a large saute pan.
5. Grill chicken and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
6. Add green beans, salt, pepper, garlic, and turkey bacon to the saute pan. Toss in chicken and tomatoes. Cook pasta per the instructions on the box. When cooked drain and add to the saute pan.
7. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash to remove the flesh. Put the flesh of the squash into the saute pan with the rest of the ingredients (parm and alfredo). Mix well and serve.

Makes 2 servings - calories per serving - 500

Squash Gnocchi

Never having made my own pasta and not having a pasta maker I decided to try this gnocchi recipe from the Food Network. This recipe was very easy to follow but as I don't have a ricer I had to kind of fudge that step of the directions. My squash also took over an hour to cook instead of the 30-35 minutes I thought it would take.

I was very nervous about this creation but Miles gave it a big thumbs up so I guess it will be something I will have the opportunity to perfect. These didn't really taste like squash and as I enjoy squash I will probably make them with butternut squash rather than acorn squash next time. I also thought my gnocchi were to large so I will cut a smaller hole in the bag and pipe them more slowly into the boiling water next time I try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound acorn squash
• 1 1/2 cups flour (I actually ended up using more like 1 3/4 cup of flour to get a firmer consistency to my gnocchi)
  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the squash in half or thirds and place on aluminum foil in the oven. Bake until tender when stabbed with a fork, usually 30 to 35 minutes. - Mine took over an hour but I only cut it in half - Remove from the oven and, when it is cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds and membrane. Scoop the flesh into a strainer placed over a large bowl. Place in the refrigerator so that the squash cools and the liquid drains away. Leave for at least 6 hours or overnight. - very little water drained from my squash so I absorbed a little extra water using a paper towel -
   
3. Add the eggs and salt. Stir well and add the flour, a little at a time, stirring to amalgamate all the ingredients. Using a hand mixer make sure the ingredients are well combined. The result should be soft but not runny.
4. Put the gnocchi into a zip-lock bag or a piping bag. Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and allow the water to return to a boil. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag so you can pipe the gnocchi batter into the boiling water. Pipe a small amount of the gnocchi into the water cutting off the dough every cm or so cooking the gnocchi in batches.
   
5. Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water and cook until they rise to the top of the pot. Remove gnocchi and also to drain while cooking the next batch.\

Makes 4 servings - calories per serving -265

Orzo Carbonara with Broccoli

So I know most people make their carbonara with spaghetti but I am not most people. I have been on an orzo kick recently (although for some reason I am always calling it polenta - I don't even like polenta). With the whole orzo kick going I decided to put a twist on this meal by changing out the pasta. I just find orzo to be so filling compared to many other pastas.

As usual this is also a lighter version of your normal carbonara. It is made with light sour cream, alfredo sauce, turkey bacon, and non-fat milk.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz orzo (2/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 7 strips turkey bacon (I used Jenny-O lean turkey bacon)
• 2 tbs alfredo sauce (I used Newman's Own)
• 2 tbs light sour cream
• 1/4 cup non-fat milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• Sprinkling of parmesan cheese
  

• Broccoli - baked

Directions:

1. Cook orzo as directed on the box.
2. Cut turkey bacon into 1 cm strips - cut along the length of the turkey bacon so you have short little strips
3. Cook turkey over medium heat in a skillet
4. Add diced onion and 1/2 tbs of water to the skillet. Cook onions until translucent.
5. Turn heat to low and allow to cool before adding the sour cream, alfredo, milk, salt and pepper. Once heated toss with drained orzo, toss with parmesan cheese, and serve with the baked broccoli or other desired vegetable.

Servings 2: Calories per serving 450 including the broccoli (420 without broccoli)