'Spaghetti' and Meatballs

'Spaghetti' and Meatballs

Serves: 4

Time for the meatballs overlaps the cook time for the sauce. The cook time is for the squash baked in the oven. Butternut squash purée can be found at Trader Joe's, or make your own.

For marinara sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup peeled baby carrots, steamed until softened
One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
One 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/3 cup butternut squash purée
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

For meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 large spaghetti squash, pierced several times with fork all over

Heat olive oil in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden. Set aside.

Place carrots in blender and puree until smooth, adding a little water if needed. Set aside.

Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes to the pot with the onions and return to medium heat. Stir in the puréed carrots, butternut squash purée, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees and place ground turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, egg and seasonings in a bowl and mush with fingers until incorporated. Form into small balls, about the size of a Hershey's Kiss, and place onto a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, turning meatballs over after five minutes. Remove to a serving bowl and cover with foil.

Depending on how much time you have, cook the spaghetti squash in the microwave for about 12 minutes, rotating every three minutes. Or preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and roast in the oven for about 1 hour or until skin has some give. Once cooked, cut in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Take a fork and scrap the flesh to make the "spaghetti" strands. Divide into serving bowls and top with marinara sauce. Allow children to choose their meatballs and enjoy.

Source Therecipe-riotmaileroncooking-lists.com