- 1 head garlic, divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 28 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 8 ounces mixed cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
To make the meat sauce, peel and dice half of the garlic and peel and slice the other half of the garlic - reserve the sliced garlic. Brown the ground beef in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the beef is nearly done, add the diced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chopped onion and cook another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the diced fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 cup of water, the oregano, the basil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Meanwhile, poke a few holes into the squash with a fork and place on a plate. Microwave for 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and discard.
Place the squash in a baking dish and season the cut sides with salt and pepper. Evenly divide the meat sauce among the squash cavities. Add the sliced garlic and cherry tomatoes around the squash halves in the baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded parmesan over the meat sauce and the cherry tomatoes. Cover the squash loosely with foil.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking another 15-20 minutes or until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden brown on top.
Let the squash rest for 5 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the squash into strands, mixing the meat and cheese with the squash. Serve hot.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour