We rarely eat any type of Italian dish in our household. Most Italian dishes tend to be loaded with carbs. They are either comprised of some type of pasta, a creamy sauce or loaded with cheese so we just tend to avoid them. Every once in a while I will get a craving for some type of Italian dish whether that be a pasta type dish or pizza and when this happens I try to create a healthier version for us to enjoy. I’m all about finding ways to recreate my favorite dishes to make them healthy but still tasty. As I was doing my grocery shopping this past week I passed the spaghetti squash and got a sudden craving for spaghetti. I quickly snatched up a medium sized spaghetti squashed and headed over to the ground beef. I grabbed a pound of the leanest ground beef I could find, 96% fat free. Next was to try to find a spaghetti sauce that wasn’t loaded with sodium, fat, and carbs. After about ten minutes of reading the nutrition labels on all of the pasta sauce jars I stumbled upon Patsy’s tomato basil sauce. It was by far the healthiest option on the shelf, lower in fat, carbs, and sodium. With all of the healthy and delicious ingredients needed for my low carb spaghetti in my cart, I headed to the checkout. Below I will share how easy it is to recreate a healthier but still delicious version of the traditional spaghetti.
Begin by cutting the spaghetti squash in half length wise. I always have trouble cutting larger squash, as they tend to be tough, so I will usually pop the squash into the microwave for just a couple of minutes to help soften it up and make it easier to cut. Once you squash is cut in half, drizzle a little olive oil over each half and sprinkle some black pepper as well. Place both halves on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes (time may vary slightly depending on the s
ize of your squash).
While the spaghetti squash is cooking we will begin cooking the ground beef (you could also use a lean ground turkey as well). Completely cook the ground beef before adding the pasta sauce.
Once the ground beef is completely cooked, pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and let simmer for a few more minutes.
After the spaghetti squash is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, use a fork to tear the squash into strands or “noodles”. Scoop a little meat and pasta sauce on top of your “noodles” and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and you can enjoy your spaghetti without the guilt that comes with all those carbs.
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- pasta sauce
- 1 lb lean ground beaf
- black pepper for seasoning
- drizzle of olive oil
- parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half length wise.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over each half and sprinkle some black pepper as well.
- Place both halves on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven for about 40 minutes
- While the spaghetti squash is cooking, begin cooking the ground beef. Completely cook the ground beef before adding the pasta sauce.
- Once the ground beef is completely cooked, pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and let simmer for a few more minutes.
- Remove the cooked spaghetti squash from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, use a fork to tear the squash into strands or "noodles".
- Scoop a little meat and pasta sauce on top of your "noodles" and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!
If you like this low carb spaghetti recipe, make sure to check out my spaghetti squash, turkey and asparagus recipe here. What are some of your favorite ways to cook with spaghetti squash?
I recently shared a blog post on how to use 
Place chopped asparagus into pan with small amount of water to steam. Cover pan and steam asparagus until bright green and is the texture that you prefer. I prefer my asparagus more al dente so I am careful not to cook them too long.
While your asparagus is steaming, you can begin to cook the turkey. Turkey is one of those meats that can be deceiving. Be mindful of the fat content when shopping for ground turkey. I typically buy the 98% fat free ground turkey and find that as long as it is seasoned well and not overcooked that it does not become overly dry. Completely cook the ground turkey meat and season with Italian seasoning. Dice an onion and add to cooked turkey. Continue cooking onions until tender.
Once spaghetti squash has finished cooking remove from oven. Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash away from the skin and add to pan with the cooked turkey. Add asparagus to pan along with the spaghetti squash and turkey.
The last ingredient we need to fix is the roasted pine nuts. Place a handful of pine nuts on a baking sheet and place in oven at 400 degrees F. The pine nuts roast very quickly so check on them every couple of minutes and remove when they are golden brown.
