This is an instructable for how to prepare and cook with spaghetti squash. I first discovered this vegetable last year and it's now one of my favorites!

It's a great substitute for pasta and one of my favorite dishes is to serve it with a tomato sauce. It's naturally buttery and crunchy and a healthy choice!

Step 1: Ingredients

Here's a list of the ingredients that you'll need:
1 spaghetti squash
grated parmesan cheese
slices of bread (I enjoyed a loaf of Levain with this dinner)

To save time, I used a jar of spaghetti sauce that I had on hand and added some fresh ingredients to it.

To add to the spaghetti sauce:
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
1 green bell pepper
black pepper

Step 2: Prepare the Spaghetti Squash

After preheating the oven to 375°F degrees, you can focus your attention on preparing the spaghetti squash.

Carefully slice the spaghetti squash in half. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and any strings. Keep these in a bowl and set them aside. You can roast the seeds for a snack or salad topper.

Step 3: Bake the Spaghetti Squash

Oil a baking pan and place the two halves of spaghetti squash cut-side down. Use a knife or a fork to poke slots in the spaghetti squash.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until you can easily poke a fork through the skin. Once it's done, remove the two halves from the oven and let them cool.

Step 4: Cook the Sauce

After the spaghetti squash is done baking, prepare the sauce while it cools.

Pour the tomato sauce into a pan and heat it up. Cut up the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Once it's simmering, add the onion and garlic. I saved the bell pepper until about 10 minutes before I was ready to serve. Add black pepper to taste.

Step 5: Scoop Out the Spaghetti Strands!

After the spaghetti squash has cooled, start at one end and use a fork to scrape the strands into a bowl. It is actually quite fun when you first start doing it and see the squash dissolve into a bunch of strings. Afterall it's called spaghetti squash for a reason!

Step 6: Plating

Slice the bread and display a few slices on a plate. Place a small pile of the spaghetti squash into the center of the plate. Cover it with some sauce and sprinkle it with some parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!