spaghetti squash with marinara meat sauce.

 y'all - spaghetti squash & homemade marinara is pretty darn delicious.  & a bit healthy too!  i added some ground beef to my marinara to make the husband happy, but i bet it would be quite tasty without it.  vegetables & sauce simmering on my stove means i am one happy girl.

{yes, squash is technically a fruit.  but i am going with vegetable to make myself feel healthy.  thank you very much.}

{also, this recipe list & steps look exhausting.  but it's really really not.  i actually chose to make it tonight because i was tired.  so stick with it.  it's easy.}

 spaghetti squash with marinara meat sauce

inspired by: giada & my mom & my sister.

marinara:

{yield - about 12 servings}

4 T evoo

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 onions, chopped

4 stems celery, chopped

4 large carrots, peeled & chopped

salt & pepper

2 dried bay leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

2 tsp sugar

2 {32 oz} cans crushed tomatoes

1 {0.75 oz} package fresh basil, roughly chopped

1/4 {0.75 oz} package fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tsp sherry vinegar

2 lb ground beef {i went with 80/20 & drained it fully}

spaghetti:

{yield - 4 to 6 servings}

1 spaghetti squash

evoo

salt

1. heat evoo in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.  add garlic & heat until it smells lovely, about 1 minute.  add onions, celery, carrots, salt, & pepper and cook until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes.

{fun fact: this mixture of onion, celery, & carrots is called "mirepoix".

it is traditionally 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot.

use that at a party & sound chef-y.}

2. add bay leaves, thyme, pepper flakes, sugar, tomatoes, & herbs.  bring the mixture to a simmer.  turn heat to low & cook, covered, at least an hour.  

3. while simmering, brown the ground beef.  drain off all of the fat & liquid.  add to marinara.  this is a good time to taste your sauce.  i like to add just a tiny bit of sherry vinegar to brighten the flavor.  {insert everyone at work laughing at me.  yes, i add sherry vinegar to every soup or sauce.  it is an amazing secret ingredient!  when used in very small amounts.}

 4. while simmering, it is also time to cook your spaghetti squash!  very very carefully with a super sharp knife & a strong arm, cut the squash in half lengthwise.  scoop out the seeds & innards, like you would a pumpkin, & discard.  place the squash halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  to see if your squash is done - use a spoon to scoop out the inside.  you want it soft enough to be scoopable, but not so soft it would be mushy.  aim for your usual al dente, as you would with pasta.

 {spaghetti squash is so cool.}

5. when your squash is al dente & cool enough to touch, scoop out all of the spaghetti-like strands.  toss it in a bowl with a tiny bit of evoo & salt.  serve your squash topped with marinara & a little shredded parmesan.  yum!!

{in case you were curious, tank also likes celery.  silly dog.}

love love,

kjp.