Better Than Pasta - Spaghetti Squash With Meat Sauce
You will fall in love with this spaghetti squash with meat sauce recipe! The spaghetti squash gives this dish an unexpected sweetness and texture that plays perfectly with the meat sauce.
Servings 2
Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 jar pasta sauce or homemade (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt, to taste optional
Topping
- grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese optional
Instructions
Roast the Spaghetti Squash
- Wash and dry the spaghetti squash.Next, cut the spaghetti squash in half. Do the following carefully:Cut off the ends. Be sure to cut around the stem as the stem is too tough to cut through.Then, cut the squash in half, lengthwise, from top to bottom. If you find that it is too difficult to cut, see notes below.
- Using a spoon, scoop the seeds out.
- Drizzle olive oil on the inside of the squash and rub it to coat the entire inside.Sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
- Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper, aluminum foil and/or non-stick cooking spray. Place the squash on the prepared baking pan FACE DOWN.Roast it in the oven at 400°F for 45-60 minutes. It is done when the cut sides (that are facing down) turn golden and the inside is easily pierced with a fork.As the spaghetti squash is roasting, prepare the meat sauce.
Make the Meat Sauce
- First, peel and dice the onion and mince the garlic.Put olive oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat and saute until translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute for just a minute. Next, stir in the oregano.
- Add the ground beef, salt and pepper and cook until browned.
- Once the meat is browned, add the pasta sauce and chopped parsley and stir. Let it simmer on low, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Top It Off
- Spoon the meat sauce over the spaghetti squash. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and parsley on top. Consider adding shredded mozzarella cheese on top and broiling it to melt.See the notes below on the 3 ways to serve this dish!
- Enjoy!
Notes
You can use HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCE or one jar of store-bought pasta sauce for this recipe.
The 3 Ways to serve this dish:
1. Spoon some of the meat sauce to the hollow of the spaghetti squash.
Then, top it off with shredded mozzarella cheese and broil it for just a few minutes to melt the cheese. Watch carefully as the broiler can burn it rather quickly!
2. Gently fluff the spaghetti squash strands with a fork.
Then, add the meat sauce on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
3. Gently fluff the spaghetti squash strands with a fork and transfer them to a bowl or plate.
Spoon some of the meat sauce on top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.