Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

I am from Vietnam, so when I came to the United States, I was astonished with all the unfamiliar varieties of vegetables that were available to me. Among all the varieties, such as broccoli rabe, Brussels cabbage and other root vegetables, the most intriguing vegetable to me is the spaghetti squash. I still cannot imagine who had the idea to use cross pollination to create this root vegetable. This squash is a life saver for people on a gluten-free diet. The remarkable thing about this vegetable is that it tastes like spaghetti and when cooked al dente, its texture can be sweet with buttery flavor. Today, I will introduce a healthy meat sauce to pair with the spaghetti squash. This recipe will knock the socks off with all the taste and texture that regular spaghetti requires.

Ingredients:
For the spaghetti squash
1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Meat sauce ingredients:
1 lb. turkey or ground chicken
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 large tomatoes (about 4 cups after chopping)
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs fresh rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs olive oil

 

Directions
For the sauce:
Heat oil in a heavy skillet and stir in meat. Cook and stir to separate the meat with the side of a wooden or metal spoon.

Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and bell pepper. Cook for 2 minutes

Add the wine and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper flakes, and all the herbs. Simmer for 1 hour.

For the spaghetti:

Pierce the squash in several places with the tines of a fork. Place squash in large pot or sauté pan. Add water to cover the squash.

Cover with lid and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove and cook off. Cut the squash lengthwise in half. Place a bowl under neat to catch some of the juice that comes out from the squash. Use a fork to scrape out and discard the center section of each half of the squash to remove the membranes and seeds. The remainder is the spaghetti strands. Season with salt and pepper. Add some butter on top, if desired.

Ladle some of the meat sauce over the pasta and serve.