Spaghetti Squash: The Winter Squash

Spaghetti squash is a variety of winter squash. When it's cooked, the pulp of spaghetti squash pulls away from the squash's walls in long strands that resemble pasta. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, says that the crisp, tender strands of spaghetti squash are often used in place of noodles in recipes that call for pasta, such as lasagna, linguine and spaghetti. This substitution lowers the carbohydrate and calorie content of most pasta dishes and packs in extra nutrients and servings of veggies.
Spaghetti Squash
Choose a large, 2- to 3-lb. spaghetti squash for spaghetti squash lasagna. The CDC says that the larger the squash, the thicker and more flavorful the strands will be. Varieties of winter squash, such as spaghetti squash, are good sources of vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin C and fiber. Spaghetti squash also contains niacin, folate, and iron, is low in calories and is fat-free and cholesterol-free. Swapping cooked spaghetti squash strands for noodles in lasagna cuts back significantly on the calories in the dish. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 1 cup of baked, steamed or boiled spaghetti squash contains 42 calories. In contrast, 1 cup of cooked noodles contains 221 calories.
Cheese
When making spaghetti squash lasagna, choose reduced-fat cheese. Reduced-fat cheese is often significantly lower in fat and calories than full-fat cheese, but it also melts much more smoothly and evenly than fat-free cheese. The USDA National Nutrition Database says 1 oz. of part-skim mozzarella cheese contains 72 calories, 4.5 g of fat and 6.9 g of protein. An ounce of part-skim ricotta cheese offers 39 calories, 2.2 g of fat and 3.2 g of protein. You can easily substitute low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese for the ricotta to get a little extra protein in your spaghetti squash lasagna.
Sauce
Tomato-based pasta sauces tend to be the lowest in fat and calories, so you'll want to choose them over cream sauces or pesto for your spaghetti squash lasagna. The USDA says that 1 cup of a traditional marinara sauce contains 224 calories and 6.9 g of fat. If marinara sauce is too plain for your tastes, dress it up with some sauteed onion, bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms before putting it in the spaghetti squash lasagna. These veggies add flavor and texture without too many extra calories.
Meat
You can also include ground meat in the sauce for your spaghetti squash lasagna, if you choose. However, pick a relatively lean variety of meat. A 3-oz. serving of cooked 93 percent lean ground turkey contains 181 calories and 9.9 g of fat. A 3-oz. serving of 95 percent lean ground beef has 164 calories and 6.4 g of fat. However, according to the USDA, one of the best calorie bets for ground meat is ground bison. A 3-oz. serving of cooked, grass-fed, ground bison meat contains 152 calories and 7.3 g of fat.