Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage

🧂 Ingredients

• 29 oz. can whole tomatoes

  undrained, cut with a fork (or substitute tomato puree for a thicker sauce)
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 15 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes

  undrained, or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
• 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes

  undrained
• 1/2 large onion

  chopped
• 2 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces

  drained
• 1/2 green bell pepper

  chopped
• 2 cloves garlic

  finely minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• 3/4 tsp. dried basil
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp. fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 dashes crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

  for topping, if desired

Instructions

• 1 Place spaghetti squash in a large baking dish and bake at 400º for about an
  hour, to an hour and a half, or until cooked through.
• 2 Allow to cool.
• 3 Meanwhile, crumble ground beef and Italian sausage into a large Dutch oven.
• 4 Heat over medium heat, turning meat frequently until it is no longer pink.
• 5 Use a hamburger chopper to break the meat up into small pieces while frying.
• 6 Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms.
• 7 Sauté a few minutes until vegetables are tender.
• 8 Add tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree (if using) and seasonings including the
  bay leaves.
• 9 Reduce heat to low; cover with lid and cook about 1 ½ hours or until bubbly and
  flavors have blended.
• 10 Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove pulp and seeds; discard.
• 11 Use a fork to remove the strands of spaghetti squash and place on a serving
  platter.
• 12 Keep warm.
• 13 Once sauce has cooked, remove bay leaves.
• 14 Serve sauce over hot, cooked spaghetti squash and garnish with Parmesan cheese. 

Nutrition Info