If I had to pick my favorite dinner ever, it would be spaghetti and meatballs. I’ve loved it since… forever! I cook it and eat it quite often for either lunch or dinner. So, with this whole30 month, I’ve been really missing it.
Spaghetti squash was never that appetizing to me because of how much I love ‘real’ spaghetti. But, then I learned the trick is to Season Generously (you like that play on words?! ;)). The more flavors you add to it, the better it tastes. And if I’m being totally honest, I ALMOST didn’t miss the real thing tonight. Almost! 🙂
This spaghetti squash and meat sauce is my whole30 take on spaghetti and meatballs.
Whole30/Paleo Spaghetti Squash & Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, or to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano, or to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pour water into a baking dish. Place squash halves with cut sides down in baking dish; roast for until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
- While squash is baking, cook and stir ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Set beef aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms, zucchini, green and red bell peppers, both amounts of crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano and thyme. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and onions; stir to combine. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, while you finish preparing spaghetti squash.
- Scrape the inside of hot spaghetti squash halves with a fork to shred the squash into strands; divide onto 8 plates. Drizzle each serving of spaghetti squash with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and top each serving with a generous amount of meat sauce. Enjoy!
Adapted from: allrecipes.com
Season Generously 