Spaghetti Squash a la Bolognese

I've been MIA from the blogging world...busy planning Griffin's 1st birthday party.  A blog on that will be coming soon!  In the meantime, here's another recipe for the whole family to enjoy.  Have you ever made or eaten spaghetti squash?  It is delicious!  When cooked and prepared, the squash resembles spaghetti strands.  Spaghetti squash is a great low carb alternative to pasta as well.  It's a favorite dish in our house, and now Griffin loves it too!  Here's the recipe and I'll even share my Italian grandmother's bolognese sauce recipe with you.  Feel free to use any type of sauce you'd like though :).

Spaghetti Squash a la Bolognese

1. Use a fork to prick the outside of your spaghetti squash.
2. Put squash in oven at about 425 degrees and cook until the outside is soft -- about 45 mins to an hour.
3. Cut the squash in half vertically.
4. Remove seeds.
5. Hold one half vertically and using a fork pull down on the squash from top to bottom...hard to explain.  See picture.

6.  This is what the squash will look like in your serving dish.  Continue to make strands until all squash is used.

Bolognese Sauce

It's best to prepare this sauce ahead of time so that you can put it directly on your squash strands.

Ingredients:

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1T olive oil

1 finely chopped onion

3/4 lb ground beef (I use the leanest cut)

1 T chopped fresh basil or you can use dried basil (about 1-2 tsp)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 T flour

1T bread crumbs

1T butter

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I usually use more than 1/4 cup)

1. In a large frying pan, saute onion with olive oil until soft and lightly browned.
2. Break up ground beef and add to onion.  Keep stirring meat until lightly cooked - still a little pink not browned. Add tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper.  Mix well and saute for about 5 minutes. 
3. Sprinkle flour over mixture and keep stirring.  
4. Add bread crumbs, cheese, and butter.  Stir frequently and let simmer until some of the liquid is evaporated - about 15-20 minutes.  Mixture should be thick, but not dry.

Doesn't this look delicious?