But it definitely doesn't help me reach my health and fitness goals, so I try to keep my pasta portions in check. This is where Spaghetti Squash often comes into play.
I'm in Southern California for a couple weeks to help out my parents while they are in Poland. I can't WAIT to meet them there to celebrate my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary! It's been a couple years since I've been to Poland, and even longer since I've seen that side of the family.
Anywhoooo... while in SoCal, I wanted to stay on track so I can go to Poland feeling cute and confident. So....
As much as I love pasta, I love spaghetti squash just as much. Maybe even more since it's better for you and you can eat more of it without feeling gross and bloatie, but that's none of my business ;)
I've made this a couple times and I get asked for information about how I prepare it, so here it is!
First, let's start with the basics. This is what spaghetti squash looks like at the grocery store:
You can find them in most grocery stores. Costco even sells them from time to time, which is awesome because then you can get an even better deal!
The BEST thing about making this? You make it once and have tons of leftovers! (or you can feed your whole family, depending on which demographic you fit into (; ).
So to make an awesome meal from the spaghetti squash, you need:
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 lb of ground turkey
- 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I tend to get mine from Trader Joe's of Sprouts-- both have great organic, no added sugar options)
Instructions:
First, start with the squash:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Slice the squash in half, length wise
- Spaghetti squash is really hard so be careful! We don't want to lose any fingers
- Scoop out the seeds
- If you've ever carved a pumpkin, you'll be a pro at this-- nowhere NEAR as many seeds! ;) Scrape out the seeds and stringy parts of the scoop WITHOUT digging into the the flesh-- that's the part that turns into spaghetti so keep as much of that in tact as possible!
- Decorate the flesh
- Brush olive oil and sprinkle salt & pepper on the inside of the cleaned spaghetti squash
- Place the squash halved face down into a roasting pan (face down = cut side down)
- Pour a little water into the dish- enough to just cover the bottom of the pan
- Bake the squash for 30-45 minutes
Now, while the squash is baking, prepare the turkey!
- Heat a large skillet with coconut oil to medium-high heat
- Drop your turkey into hot skillet and cook until brown and cooked all the way through-- covering the skillet while cooking helps a bit
- Once done cooking, turn off the skillet until squash is ready
That was easy! Now to finish everything off!
- Once the spaghetti squash is done baking and tender, take it out and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Once cool enough for you to be able to hold it (I usually use a towel so it doesn't have to cool too much), take it out with flesh side up, facing you
- Using a fork, scrape out the inside of the squash
- Pull the flesh from the peel, separating the flesh into strands. You're "raking" the "noodles" into each other
- Turn the large skillet back on to medium
- Transfer the "spaghetti" from the squash peel to the skillet, mixing them together
- Pour the jar of sauce into the spaghetti/turkey combo and mix together
- Mix for a few minutes to make sure the whole mixture is warm
- Serve and enjoy!
And seriously? One squash, one pound of turkey, and one jar of pasta sauce lasts me like a week!
One of my favorite meals EVER!! Hope you enjoy, too :)
Love,
Paulina
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