Ingredients:
1 small spaghetti squash
Beef Stuffing:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup mirepoix (carrots, onions, and celery chopped small, frozen works great)
1 garlic clove chopped
2 tbls. olive oil
Onion Sauce:
2 1/2 sweet, or regular onions peeled and halved
1 clove garlic peeled and halved
1/2 cup water
2 tbls Melt (A butter replacement), or regular butter
salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti Squash:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Choose a baking pan, or cookie sheet with an edge, line it with aluminium foil and lightly grease it with olive oil. Carefully slice the spaghetti squash in two, scoop out the seeds and membranes and place cut side up on the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cut sides with salt and let them sit on the counter for half an hour.
After the squash has rested, rub the inside and out with olive oil and sprinkle the inside with pepper. Place in the oven and bake, cut side up, for 50 to 60 minutes, until a fork easily pierces the inside. The outside skin will be hard and crisp, but the inside should easily shred with a fork. While this is baking, prepare the ground beef stuffing, and onion sauce.
Beef Stuffing:
While the squash is baking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, and saute the mirepoix and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Remove from the pan to a bowl and set aside. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan and brown the ground beef. Be careful not to overcook it. When it is browned remove from the pan, strain off the excess grease, and add it to the bowl with the mirepoix. Set aside and prepare the onion sauce.
Onion Sauce:
Pour the 1/2 cup of water into a small saucepan. Add the prepared onion and garlic and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, immediately turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the onions are soft. Pour the onions, garlic and water into a blender, add the two tablespoons of Melt, salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth and creamy. Return to the pan to keep warm.
Assemble:
When the squash is fully baked, immediately remove it from the oven. Using a pair of tongs to gently grip the squash, use a fork to shred the inside of the squash into spaghetti-like strands, pulling and removing all of the flesh from the inside of the shell without breaking it.
Do not discard the shells!
Place the shredded squash in with the ground beef and mirepoix mixture, and mix until well combined. With the empty shells still on the baking sheet, fill them equally with the stuffing mixture, and return the pan to a 350 degree oven. Heat through for 15 to 20 minutes. When heated place the stuffed squash shells in a bowl, or on a plate, top with 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of onion sauce and serve. Makes 2 large portions.
Alternately, the stuffing can be placed in ramekins and baked to serve more people. You can also switch the sauce to a tomato, or other sauce, and add cheese if you can tolerate it.
Enjoy!
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