1 lb. ground mild Italian turkey sausage, or vegetarian sausage
2 cups marinara sauce
Red pepper flakes, use amount based on desired spice/heat level
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Scrub the squash clean and dry thoroughly. In a separate microwavable safe dish, place the whole squash and microwave on high for 5 minutes to make it easier to cut (do not microwave whole squash for more than 5 minutes). Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise (stem to bottom end). Scoop out the seeds and discard. Drizzle the inside of the squash with 3 TB olive oil using your hands to coat the entire surface of the squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and place cut-side down on the lined baking sheet. Place squash in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool. Use a fork to scrape the squash strands from inside. Place strands in a large bowl, set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 TB oil to pan; add minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat and add to the bow! of squash strands, toss to combine. Add 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 1/4 tsp salt & black pepper, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, to the mixture and toss to combine.
Return same skillet to medium-high heat. Add ground turkey sausage to pan; Cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add diced onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Add diced peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups marinara sauce and red pepper flakes for you desired spice/heat preference; reduce heat to medium, and simmer 4 minutes.
Spray a 9 x 12 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread turkey/marina sauce mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Top with squash/ spinach/cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Bake at 425° for 30-30 minutes until cooked through and cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from oven, let stand 10 min before serving.