photo by wonderyort
Why this is a favorite: The first time I heard about spaghetti squash I had to try it, just to see if it was really true. Once cooked, you can scoop out the seeds and the squash falls into strands, similar to spaghetti. My favorite part is it makes a great left-over.
Serves: 4-6 (makes a great leftover)
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1 Tbsp of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
dash of crushed red pepper (optional)
16 ounces ground meat of your choice (I vote for something lean: ground turkey, bison, or free-range beef)
1/2 cup lowfat or 2% milk
1/2 cup Italian red wine
1 (28 oz) can chopped or pureed tomatoes (I look for tomatoes only - no added salt or sugar)
Handful of finely chopped basil
Parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or cottage cheese make great toppings
Preparation
To roast spaghetti squash:
Heat oven to 375. Prick squash all over with a sharp knife. Place on a pan and roast for approximately 1 hour to 1:15. Flip over after 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands.
To make sauce:
Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add in garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook 5-10 minutes or until soft. Season with salt, pepper and a few crushed red pepper flakes (optional if you don’t like an extra kick). Add meat to pot and break apart with a spoon until cooked through. Stir in low-fat milk and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes or so. Stir in wine and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add in chopped tomatoes and basil. Let simmer for 10 minutes or up to one hour.
Ready to eat:
Top roasted squash with sauce and finish with parmesan or nutritional yeast. For extra protein, add a scoop of cottage cheese. Enjoy!
Originally shared on Ironman.com’s feature “Cooking with Corbin”