Baked Spaghetti Squash
Just like it sounds, the spaghetti squash does one heck of a good job replicating real spaghetti noodles. Stuff each half with ground beef, tomatoes and all of the regular pasta fixings and you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried squash before.
- Servings: 8
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40–50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (3-pound) spaghetti squash
- 1 pound lean ground beef 1 onion, diced
- 8 cremini mushrooms, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Puncture the spaghetti squash randomly with a sharp knife to allow steam to be released. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife can pierce the skin easily. Allow to cool and slice in half. Remove the seeds. Using a fork, scrape inside the squash to create the spaghetti “noodles.”
- While the squash is baking, prepare the filling.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned, about
6 minutes. - Mix in the tomatoes, bell pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the oregano, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Ladle the sauce on top of your prepared squash halves. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve.