Guest Post: A Simple Dinner

Simple Spring Dinner: Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes

One of the best parts about spring—other than the sunshine and beautiful weather, of course!—is that it’s probably the easiest time of year embrace healthy eating. Eating well in the winter can be tricky; between holiday goodies and the abundance of cheesy, carb-filled casseroles, it’s easy to go overboard on foods that may not be that great for us. But when spring rolls around and fresh produce comes back into season, we seem to crave fresh, lighter flavors that tend to be healthier than many heavy winter meals.

To lighten up your meals this spring, make a point of featuring fruits or vegetables as the main focus points of your dishes. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be eating a salad for every meal, but if you see an opportunity to incorporate produce into a recipe, now’s the time to take it! There are dozens of easy veggie-based dinner ideas out there that are perfect for lightening up meals this spring.

Craving tacos for dinner? Use fresh lettuce cups instead of starchy taco shells. If you’ve got burgers on the brain, consider throwing a portobello mushroom on the grill instead. Or if you’re in the mood for pasta, try subbing in spaghetti squash (like in the recipe below) for fresher flavor and a lot fewer calories.

This creamy spaghetti squash with tomatoes is the perfect transition recipe to take you from the last of the cooler weather into beautiful spring. Not only does it feature lots of good produce like spaghetti squash, tomatoes, basil and onion, but it’s ready in just half an hour! It’s a lightened up take on creamy pasta dishes that you can feel great about eating this spring. Enjoy!

Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes

Total Time: 30 min  Serves: 6 (1 cup each)  Calories per Serving: 190

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 lb), halved and seeded
• 1 ¼ cups water, divided
• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 6 wedges light creamy Swiss spreadable cheese
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 14.5 oz cans Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano, drained well
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup DAVID® Sunflower Kernels, Roasted and Salted

Place squash, cut sides down, in a microwave-safe dish. Add ¼ cup water and cover dish with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH 10-15 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat and add onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until onion is tender; add remaining water, spreadable cheese, basil and salt. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Carefully remove squash strands with a fork and place in the skillet; stir to combine. Add drained tomatoes and toss to combine. Top with parmesan cheese and sunflower kernels.

Author Bio: This is a guest post on behalf of ReadySetEat. For more easy recipes for dinner this spring, visit www.readyseteat.com.