Paleo Spaghetti

If you have never tried spaghetti squash, the time is now!  As a Paleo eater, it will become your best friend!  You will see it as a sub for pasta in a lot of Paleo recipes.  In my opinion, it tastes even better than pasta (not kidding)!  Go ahead and see for yourself. :)

TIP: Roast spaghetti squash ahead of time and store in your fridge for up to a week!  For those of you who get pasta cravings, cooked spaghetti squash is great to have on hand and is delicious on its own with a little olive oil and seasonings of choice (See roasting instructions below).

Paleo Spaghetti

Prep Time: Approximately 10 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 45 minutes (25 minutes if your squash is already cooked)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 lb ground turkey or grass-fed beef (I used ground turkey)
• 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced 
• 1 large carrot, diced 
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes + 1 can organic tomato sauce (or 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes)
• pinch red-pepper flakes 
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions for Roasting Spaghetti Squash:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. Wash the squash and cut in half length-wise (This can be difficult if you don't have a sharp knife so be careful!).
3. Scoop out the seeds (ice cream scoop works great!) and drizzle each half with a tsp of olive oil then brush out evenly.  Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
4. Place the two halves face side down on a baking sheet and roast for 35-45 minutes or until tender.
5. Carefully turn over the halves and let cool for at least 5 minutes then take a fork and scrape out the delicious noodles!

Instructions for the Sauce:

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat
2. Add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. 
3. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Add another tbsp of oil and the ground turkey or beef to the same skillet and cook until meat is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Add in the cooked vegetables, mushrooms (if desired), tomatoes and a pinch of red-pepper flakes and cook until meat is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve over a pile of spaghetti squash noodles!