We love spaghetti at our house but sometimes I want to make meals that are lower in carbs. No one at our house has diabetes; however, my mother was type II, so I have always kept the carbohydrates in check. This recipe is rich in vitamins and fiber from the vegetables and spaghetti squash along with the protein from the quality organic beef I used as well. Here’s how to make it.
Start by taking a large spaghetti squash and place it on a microwave safe plate and carefully stab some vent holes in the squash as you would a potato, and microwave until it is very tender when poked with a knife, about 20 – 30 min. You can also cut the squash in half and roast at 400 degrees for 40 -50 minutes.
While the squash cooks, chop up 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery w/ leaves, 1 medium onion, and 4 cloves of garlic (If you like less garlic, use 2), and a 1/4 cup of fresh basil plus some for garnish.
Next, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over med high heat in a large nonstick pan and add all the vegetables and a pinch of red pepper flakes except the garlic and basil which will be added later.
Cook vegetables until
Once you remove the vegetables to a bowl, add 1.5 pounds of ground beef to the pan and brown on med high heat until well browned.
Once beef is well browned, add vegetables back into the pan along with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, salt & pepper to taste.
Mix the Italian seasoning in well and then add your tomato products.
Add one 28 oz. can of ground or crushed tomatoes, and one 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes.
Stir well and bring to a boil then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 30 min. In the meantime, prepare the spaghetti squash.
Once squash is very tender, remove from microwave and allow to cool for a few minutes and cut in half and carefully remove seeds with a spoon so not to take too much of the flesh.
Next, take a fork and pull the squash out of the shell. Using the fork will create spaghetti like strands. Place the squash in a colander to drain off any liquid and press gently to remove liquid once it is all in the colander.
Once most of the liquid is drained off, add squash to a microwave safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Squash can be reheated just before serving while you finish off the sauce.
When sauce in done, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. It is important to remove the sauce from the heat before adding the cheese so that it does not bind up and distributes evenly.
To serve, place spaghetti squash in a bowl or on a plate, and top with the beef ragu.
Once you add the sauce, top with more freshly grated parmesan cheese and chiffonade of fresh basil. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep Time: 30 min Cooking Time: 1 hr.
Difficulty: Easy Servings 4-6
Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
1.5 pounds ground beef
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery w/leaves chopped
1 med onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup chiffonade of basil plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
1 28 oz. can ground or crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper