This is one of those meals that you're going to go back to again and again. I don't know what it is about the flavour combinations, but they are seriously deadly delicious!! You can also just skip the last "bake" step and eat this as a "spaghetti and meat sauce" kind of deal! Whatever floats your boat on that particular day.
One thing I'm certain of, you're going to love this recipe.
Also, I use Daiya (dairy free) mozzarella cheese, but if you're not deathly allergic to dairy, you can absolutely use whatever cheese you'd like!
I have a feeling parmesan would be fabulous!!
Okay, so this recipe is super simple, but it is a 3 step process. Step one: cook the squash. Step 2 (or one and a half?): Cook the meat sauce. Step 3: Bake the deliciousness and enjoy! :)
INGREDIENTS: 2 medium spaghetti squashes 2 jars pasta sauce (I love using a natural garlic and onion one!) 2 lbs thawed, ground beef (try to source this as best as you can aka local butcher instead of grocery store.) 1 1/2 cups Daiya Mozzarella 2 cans sliced mushrooms 1 can diced tomatoes 1/2 large white onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 3 Tbsp Olive Oil Sea Salt and Pepper 1-2 Tbsp garlic powder 1-2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning HOW TO: Cooking the Squashes: 1) Preheat oven to 400. 2) Cut squashes in half, drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil on the inside and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper (I will often sprinkle with a bit of garlic powder as well... mostly because I'm Ukrainian and we love that stuff). Use a spoon to rub the ingredients in a bit. 3) Place squash halves face down on cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 35 minutes. Once cooked, take a fork and "shred" the squash into a glass baking dish (that you will end up cooking the 'lasagne' in). Cooking the Sauce: 1) Heat a large pan and add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the ground beef and sautee until brown. 2) Add chopped onions, mushrooms, peppers, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. Let cook together for 5 minutes, until onions soften. 3) Add pasta sauce, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. (Depending on how flavourful you like your sauce, you may want to add more). Turn heat down to low/medium and let all ingredients simmer for 25 minutes. The longer you let simmer, the more flavourful the sauce. Baking your "lasagne": 1) Fork spaghetti squash into glass baking dish. 2) Top with meat sauce and then sprinkle with cheese. 3) Place in oven and bake at 200 for 10-15 minutes, until cheese melts. Another option would be to Broil on high for 3-4 minutes. Last step? Enjoy!! Spaghetti squash is a seriously awesome replacement for actual spaghetti. You cut your caloric intake by about 3/4 and won't leave the table feeling gross and lethargic. If you have any other favourite meals you'd like to see made "healthier", shoot me an email by clicking "Contact"! I'm always happy to take suggestions! xo Marie