Savory Spaghetti

This has great flavor! Serve over Spaghetti Squash Noodles or Zucchini Noodles. Mmmm!

Savory Spaghetti Sauce

2 lbs. ground beef (we lean more towards 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 whole yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 T. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. onion powder
1 T. Italian seasoning
1-2 tsp. sea salt

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the ground meat until cooked through. Drain excess fat.

Reduce heat to medium and add diced onion and garlic to the meat. Cook until onions are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir to mix well. Add seasonings and salt. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about an hour. If you can wait 2 hours, that’s even better. The flavors will meld together even more. 

Serve over Spaghetti Squash or Zucchini Noodles.

How to Boil Spaghetti Squash

If you're like me and lack some serious arm muscle, cutting the spaghetti squash in half to bake it is a serious pain. I have also tried microwaving it, but I don't care for the texture or taste as much. I prefer to boil mine and it tastes WONDERFUL! Here's how:

Fill a large stock pot about 2/3 full of water. Bring the water to a boil, then gently drop the squash into the pot. (It will float. That is OK.) Cover the pot and reduce to medium heat so that the water still boils.

Periodically use a wooden spoon to turn the squash so it cooks evenly. Cook for about 30 minutes (our large squash took 40 minutes) until you can easily pierce it with a fork. Then dump the squash out into a colander.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the "seedy innards". Using a fork, rake in the same direction as the strands to make the longest spaghetti-like "noodles".