Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

My spaghetti squash obsession has escalated to full scale crazy. Italian style with meatballs? Duh. Tex-mex inspired that packs some heat and hides leftover pulled pork? Absolutely. Comforting gooey lasagna boats? Well, sure! So when a friend shared this recipe from Love and Lemons, I knew I A) had to try it ASAP but that B) hubby would scoff at sun-dried tomatoes and an absence of "meat." So to the "test kitchen" I ran :)

Result was divine. Heat from the sausage, sweetness from the squash, crunch from the pine nuts...it was alllll good by me.

I've cook spaghetti squash before using my crock pot while I'm at work, and it turns out just fine. I didn't mind the oven time with this recipe, though, as it gave me a chance to get the filling ready. I can't be the only one that knows a spaghetti squash is going to be my reason for a dinner time visit to the ER. I pop the squash in the microwave for about five minutes, and then it seems to be a little easier to cut in half.

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

Ingredients:
1 M/L spaghetti squash
1-2 tbsp EVOO
1 lb turkey italian sausage (we used HOT! But regular or sweet would be fine), casings removed
3/4 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 packed cups kale, chopped and stems removed
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup pine nuts
Grated parmsean for topping.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Although optional, I liked to add water to the bottom of the pan--just enough to cover the pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes; until flesh is tender enough to pierce and "noodles" form easily with the scrape of a fork.

While squash roasts, first toast pine nuts over medium heat in the skillet you intend to cook the turkey mixture in. Watch nuts carefully, as they tend to burn if left too long (or is that only in my kitchen??)
Remove pine nuts and set aside, and heat the EVOO in the pan. Add sausage to pan, crumbling while cooking. When sausage is cooked through, toss in chickpeas, red pepper flakes, and kale, stirring to combine. Add chicken stock and cook till wilted. Stir shredded squash in with mixture. Serve topped with pine nuts and sprinkled with parmesan!