I think of Spaghetti as one of the best forms of comfort food. There is nothing better than eating a plate full of spaghetti with homemade sauce and garlic bread to soak up the sauce. I used spaghetti squash for this recipe, but you could easily put this sauce over your favorite type of pasta- angel hair, spaghetti, or even tortellini.
I love spaghetti squash and there are so many different ways to prepare it. For this recipe, I started off by microwaving the whole squash for about 4 minutes so that it was easier to cut it in half. Make sure you vent the squash but putting a few slices in the squash with your knife so that it doesn't burst in the microwave. After cutting the squash in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Drizzle a baking sheet and the two halves with a little olive oil and place the two halves upside down so that the skin is facing up on the baking sheet. Roast the two halves in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. 40 minutes is enough time for a small squash, but if you're using a large squash, leave it in the oven for about an hour or until the flesh can easily be pulled away from the sides
While the squash is roasting, go ahead and start on the spaghetti sauce:
Ingredients:
1 small red onion- diced
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves of garlic-minced
4-5 leaves fresh basil
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
2 cups hot water
1 small tomato diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms sautéed OR 2 cans mushrooms
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp butter
Start making the sauce by heating a little olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a dutch oven (or any large pot) on medium heat. (My dutch oven was one of the best Christmas gifts ever- thank you Braxton- so I linked a similar one for you!) After the butter is melted, add the diced onion and let that cook for about 5 minutes. Next, add in the ground beef with a little salt and pepper. When the beef is fully cooked (no more pink), add the minced garlic and let that cook for a minute or two. Add in the water and tomato sauce and let that simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat. After the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add in the tomato paste, all of the spices including the fresh basil, the tomato, and the sautéed mushrooms. Let this simmer for another 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
After you take the squash out of the oven, use a fork to peel the flesh of the squash away from the sides, the squash should resemble spaghetti noodles when pulled from the sides. If it's hard to pull apart with a fork, put it back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until it's tender.
Serving:
Place the "spaghetti" on a plate, then spoon the sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garlic bread, if desired. Enjoy!
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