Spaghetti Squash Recipes

CrockPot Spaghetti Squash With Chunky Tomato Sauce (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef, or turkey, or 1/2c cooked lentils, or 1 can chickpeas
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 recipe Cooked Spaghetti Squash
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
• Small fresh basil leaves (optional)
• Directions:

1. In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain off any excess fat.  Add to slow cooker set on high for 3 hours or low for 5+. Add undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
2. When you get home from work or errands: prepare cooked spaghetti squash. Serve sauce over squash. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. If desired, garnish with basil leaves.
3. Cooked Spaghetti Squash: Prick a 2 1/2- to 3-pound whole spaghetti squash in several places with a sharp knife. Place squash in a microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave, uncovered, on 100% (high) power for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Let stand for 5 minutes. Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Using 2 forks, shred and separate the squash pulp into strands. Makes: 6 servings
4. Another option for cooking squash: Prick with knife in several places, place in it’s own crockpot on high for 3 hours or low for 5+.  Let stand for 5 minutes, cut lengthwise, remove seeds, and separate pulp into strands with 2 forks.

Other Spaghetti Squash Toppings:

• Pesto

1. Easy: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove crushed garlic and Parmesan Cheese.
2. Pizza option: pizza sauce, low-fat mozzarella cheese & your favorite pizza topping
   • To do this, microwave the squash first for 5 minutes, cut lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and stuff the top with pizza toppings, place in slow cooker.
   • When you return home for dinner you simply mix it all up with 2 forks and eat!
3. Pasta salad option: fresh sliced veggies and 2 tbsp your favorite vinaigrette
4. Buffalo Wing Stuffed Spaghetti Squash: for 4 servings: 4 chicken cutlets, 8 tbsp wing sauce (I like Wegmans (*not DASH friendly), and blue cheese crumbles.
   • To do this, microwave the squash first for 5 minutes, cut lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and stuff the top with pizza toppings, place in slow cooker on low.

Calories: 242.4  Fat: 7.4g Cholesterol: 65mg  Sodium: 376.9mg Potassium: 403.8mg         Carbohydrates: 13.9mg Sugar: 6.6g Dietary Fiber: 3.1g  Protein: 26g