Spaghetti (Squash) and Meat Sauce

I feel like spaghetti squash has become a new "it" food.  It's a popular replacement for pasta and loaded with healthy nutrients... who wouldn't love it? As with my last post, I can't take credit for this recipe, but I do like to put my own spin on it by adding fresh veggies (from the local farmers market!) and different spices or sauce.  

Ingredients: 
1  Medium-large sized spaghetti squash
23.5 oz bottle marinara of your choice (I used Wegman's 'Italian Classics - Grandpa's Favorite')
1 Lb ground beef (I used cage-free, antibiotic-free meat from TLV Tree Farms in Glenelg, MD) 
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

"Optional" Ingredients (although highly recommended...) 
1/4 C. sliced green pepper
1/4 C. sliced red bell pepper
2 Tbsp diced celery
2 Tbsp diced carrots
1 Clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

1) Start by slicing your spaghetti squash in half, (longways) then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Then place both halves of the squash in a glass baking dish, inside facing down.  Fill the baking dish with 1/4 inch of water, then bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes.  

The great thing about this recipe is that while the squash are baking, you can take care of the meats and veggies.  Your meal should be ready by the time the squash finishes and cools down a bit.  

2) Heat a non-stick frying pan at medium heat, for the ground beef.  Also heat an additional saucepan or dutch oven (I prefer the Le Creuset dutch oven for this step!) for the veggies.  Coat the frying pan with 1 Tbsp Olive oil, and the dutch oven with 2 Tbsp Olive oil.  

3) Prepare the peppers, onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  

4) When heated, cook the ground beef thoroughly, seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.  

5) Add the peppers and onions to the dutch oven.  Cover and let cook for for 5 minutes, until slightly wilted.  
6) Add the celery, carrots and garlic to the peppers and onions.  Let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  

7) At this point, the cooked ground beef and marinara sauce are added to the veggies.  I usually tone down the heat slightly, and let the sauce marinate and the flavors come together.  I allow my sauce to continue cooking on low heat until my squash is ready.  

8) After removing the squash from the oven, it will require a few minutes to cool.  (Doh?) 

9) Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells. Top with sauce and your meal is ready!

This recipe is so versatile, healthy and delicious!  Unless you're not a spaghetti squash fan.  It certainly doesn't replace the taste or texture of pasta, so if you're looking for a healthier option, I'd suggest trying  gluten free or rice noodles.  

Note: This is definitely a paleo-inspired dish, although I "cheated" a little, by using a pre-made sauce.  (But hey- the label said it was organic, so it has to be better for me...)