Easy Baked Spaghetti Squash Parmigiana

Rinse off the shell of the spaghetti squash if you're so inclined. I know that baking it will kill any germs, but I always prefer to give it at least a cursory rinse.

Using an extremely sharp knife, slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and place flat sides up in a shallow baking pan. I always line pans with foil since it stops the drips and is also great for wrapping up leftovers.

Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the center rack of your oven at 450°F (I use my convection toaster oven and nudge it closer to broil midway in the process). Bake for about 1/2 hour and feel free to spritz with some more olive oil and bake for another 15 minutes depending on your oven.

In a small bowl, beat the two eggs until frothy. Using a larger bowl, fold eggs into the Ricotta cheese until blended well. Add Italian spices to taste, or green garnishy type herbs like parsley or oregano.

At this point, the individual strands of the spaghetti squash should be separating easily. Remove from oven and use a fork or similar tool to pull out the seeds. Discard the seeds since they're not tasty, even when toasted.

Divide the cheese and egg mixture between the two halves of the squash. Return squash to oven for about 10-15 minutes until cheese mixture seems to "set."

Remove from oven, pour sauce over both halves and if desired, scoop some black beans in the center (see picture). Sprinkle cheese on top. Return to oven until tomato sauce is set and cheese is melty/bubbly. At my house, we tend to prefer things really brown and bubbly (as you'll see in the pics, but you can remove from oven earlier).