Many dieters tend to shun pasta for it's high calorie content, which is a shame because whole wheat pasta has lots of fibre and keeps you full for a long long time.. but even I tend to cook pasta rarely and usually when all is said and done it's topping the calorie count at around 500 calories... which for a dinner for us is a little high, we like to stay under 400.
Enter the spaghetti squash. The magic 'pasta'! It contains, Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids which aid in preventing heart disease, cancer and inflamation as well as brain function AND it has SO many vitamins and minerals (very high in vitamin A, B, C), lots of folate, potassium & beta carotene which is just awesome! And the best part of all, one cup of this magic 'pasta' is only 42 calories VS roughly 220 for real pasta.
Sounds awesome doesn't it! It really is, and to top it off it's SUPER easy to make! There are a few methods of cooking it, you can go online and there's tons of tutorials and recipes but I'll share mine with you here. It makes a quick, easy and incredibly healthy dinner for you and your family. If you need to save time, bake the squash the night or day before and reheat it when you're making dinner. AND if you want to go even MORE healthy and save on preservatives - make your own spaghetti sauce and meatballs and you're eating super clean :)
Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs
1 spaghetti squash
2 cups of your favourite pasta sauce (I really like blue menu mushroom + garlic or homemade sauce)
If you're using bottled sauce, add in 1/2 a diced red onion, 1 diced bell pepper and a handful of mushrooms for added texture and vitamins.
16 extra lean turkey meatballs (again.. I love blue menu or homemade)
• To cook the spaghetti squash:
Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
Pierce all over with a skewer (like you would a baked potato) to allow steam to escape while baking.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for atleast and hour for crunchier 'pasta' and over an hour for softer.
Remove from the oven and let it cool so you can handle it.
Once cool place on a cutting board and cut in half lengthwise.
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits, discard.
Use a fork to string the squash into spaghetti like strands and place in a serving bowl.
DONE! You have squash pasta!
• While baking the squash heat your pasta sauce and meatballs. Once your squash is shredded and placed into a serving bowl, top with your sauce and meatballs and serve. Dinner's ready!
• Sprinkle with light parmesan cheese or reggiano for added yumminess.
This recipe serves 4.
1 serving is 286 calories
(which includes 2tbsp of parmesan, 4 meatballs and 1/2 cup of sauce & 1 1/2 cups of squash)
That's just ONE recipe to enjoy with spaghetti squash. Treat it like you would any other type of pasta and experiment with flavours that you enjoy! Just remember to keep it light and clean, no carbonara sauces people.. ha ha!
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