As Thanksgiving break has come to a close, students may have noticed their jeans fitting a bit more snuggly than usual and their belts needing to be buckled notch or two looser. While the surplus of unhealthy yet delicious homemade dishes served during the holidays might have contributed to this weight gain, this does not mean students should ditch the comfort food they ate during break. They can still enjoy tasty, homey-feeling food, but without the extra calories. 

Here’s a lighter take on the classic spaghetti dish, which uses spaghetti squash in place of the noodles and contains a quarter of the calories that are in its pasta counterpart. And because of the vegetable-pasta switch, students eating the dish will be getting in multiple servings of vegetables. They will be also be ditching those heavy, processed carbs and that feeling of sluggishness that usually comes after consuming them.

By following this simple recipe, they should be able to indulge in a delicious, satisfying guilt-free meal in just under an hour and work back to their pre-holiday physique in no time (until the next holiday rolls around, that is).

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara

Ingredients: 

1 ripe (yellow, not white) spaghetti squash

1 jar of marinara sauce

1 bottle of extra-virgin olive oil

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

2. Take a sharp knife and cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise into two equal sized halves. Use a fork to scrape out all of the insides of the squash (the seeds and pulp). Then, cover a baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil and rub olive oil on both sides of the squash before placing them cut side down onto the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook the squash or it will get mushy.) Meanwhile, take your jar of marinara sauce and simmer it on the stove while your squash cooks.

3. Cool the squash until it’s safe to handle and run a fork inside of the squash to scrape out the spaghetti-like strands onto a plate. 

4. Top with the desired amount of marinara sauce and parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Serves four generously.

Elizabeth can be reached at [email protected].