Baked Spaghetti Squash

I made this following recipe tonight. It wasn't very hard, and it was delicious. I might make it with turkey sausage next time to make it a little healthier, but it was very tasty as is. Chris really liked it too. And since it is just the two of us eating it there was plenty for lunch leftovers, which my husband loves.

Baked Spaghetti Squash


Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (2-1/4 lb.)
12 oz. bulk Italian sausage
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium green or red sweet pepper, chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 4-1/4-oz. can chopped pitted ripe olives (optional)
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1-1/2 cups purchased red pasta sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or Italian blend cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh Italian parsley
directions

• Halve squash crosswise; remove seeds. Place cut sides down in 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Microcook on high power 13 to 15 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork; rearrange once for even baking. In a large skillet cook sausage, mushrooms, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; stir to break up sausage. Drain off fat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scrape pulp from squash (about 3 cups). Wipe out baking dish; coat with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half the squash in dish. Add half the sausage mixture and half the olives. Sprinkle with seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Top with half the sauce and half the cheese. Top with remaining squash, sausage, olives, and sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.