A Family Favorite

Spaghetti (squash) and Meatballs

(Serves 4)

This one is a big hit in our house. Neko loves it and doesn't even notice that its not actual spaghetti. My husband and I love it because its jam packed with veggies and also very low in fat. We go through phases where we have this once a week because we like it so much.

For the "noodles":
1 spaghetti squash

For the sauce:
1 lb. tomatoes
1 red pepper
Basil
Oregano
Onion
Salt
Pepper
Assorted "sauce veggies" mushrooms, roasted eggplant, etc.

For the meatballs:
1lb. ground turkey
Rosemary
Paprika
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper

1. Heat up your broiler.

2. Brush the red pepper with olive oil and then place it under the broiler. Keep and eye on it and turn every so often until each side gets one or two small char spots. Remove the pepper and set aside.

3. Put all the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix them together by hand. Form into small to medium sized meatballs and set aside.

4. Heat the oven to 350.

5. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Roast them for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the squash.

6. Finely chop the tomatoes, basil, and onion and place them in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with oregano, salt and pepper.

7. In a large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil and then add the meatballs to the pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides then add to the simmering tomato sauce.

8. Remove the skin and seeds from the roasted red pepper and then chop. Add that, along with any additional veggies you like, to the sauce. Cover and reduce to a low simmer for 30 minutes.

9. Remove the squash from the oven. When fully cooked, the inside of the squash should easily peel away like "noodles" with a fork.

10. Divide the squash up into equal portions, cover with sauce and meatballs and top with cheese (optional) and serve.