Ingredients:

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 6 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 5-oz bag of spinach
• 2 ounces of soft goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the ends off of the spaghetti squash. Cut the squash crosswise into rings about 1 inch thick, and run your knife around the inside of the rings to cut the seeds out.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the baking sheet, and lay the squash rings over it, moving them around a little bit to coat them evenly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then flip the rings over and season again.
4. Roast the squash in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes. When the squash is done, set off to the side and allow to cool while you cook the bacon and spinach.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and then add bacon slices. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until the very edges of the bacon start to brown slightly, about two minutes. Turn down the heat and continue to cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered out, about five minutes.
6. When the bacon is done, turn the heat up to medium and add the red wine vinegar while stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. This will deglaze your pan. After about 20 seconds, turn the heat back down to low and add the maple syrup. Stir everything together to combine. Add the spinach to pan one handful at a time. Stir after each addition so that the spinach wilts and there is room for more. When all of the spinach has wilted turn the burner off under the pan and let everything sit while you finish the squash.
7. Peel the skin away from the squash, and then use a fork to pull the strands apart, adding them to the pan as you go. When all of the squash is in the pan, add the goat cheese and toss everything together to combine.
8. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe by Christine Byrne