Spaghetti Squash Bowl with Smoked Sausage

**This post is made in collaboration with Farmer John.  All content, ideas, and words are my own.**

Summer officially started last week, but when you have kids, summer starts on their last day of school and we are already slammed with summer activities, camps and beach time. That’s why quick 30-minutes meals like this Spaghetti Squash Bowl with Farmer John Smoked Sausage is always in rotation and you can easily find Farmer John products at local grocery stores including Smart & Final, Stater Brothers, Albertsons, Ralphs, Vons and Northgate.

This dish is easy to make and comes packed with flavor from the smoked sausage so I don’t need a long list of ingredients to extract and impart flavors. Along with that, I’ve paired it with some spaghetti squash instead of pasta for a better-for-you bite.

The crazy thing is my kids didn’t even notice. I’m not saying they didn’t know it wasn’t pasta, but no one seemed to mind the swap. The only questions they really had were: Is that all the sausage and can we do the pool after dinner?

I mean, more daylight means more time being outside, so of course the answer was yes and yes—because when I grill sausage, I know to make extra. My kids love it and Naomi loves it with her breakfast for the next day.

As for the swim—ugh, don’t they know you aren’t supposed to swim on a full stomach? Doesn’t anyone else remember being told that as a kid? But you see what I mean about being slammed for summer? It’s like the kids are sharks and can’t stop moving unless they’re sleeping.

Spaghetti Squash Bowl with Smoked Sausage

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Ingredients

• 1 13 oz. Farm John Smoked Sausage, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 medium size squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded
• 1/4 fresh parsley
• ½ cup grated Pecorino
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• kosher salt
• watercress
• 2 avocados, sliced
• lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle squash halves with olive oil and season with salt. Place squash cut side down and roast until tender, 30 minutes for al dente, longer if you want it softer. Once the squash is cooled enough to touch, use a fork to scrape out “spaghetti.” Place scraped spaghetti squash on paper towels to dry.
2. While the spaghetti squash is cooking, prep the grill for medium heat for direct cooking (350F). Place sliced smoked sausage on the grates and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high until browned and nutty scented. Add the spaghetti squash, parsley Pecorino, and ½ cup Parmesan, then stir to combine until squash is heated through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in pepper and season with salt to taste.
4. To serve, divide spaghetti squash, smoked sausage and avocado slices between 4 servings. Serve with lemon wedges and watercress.