I don’t understand why spaghetti was ever invented when spaghetti squash is so much better!  This recipe tastes like the real deal.  If you’re in a pinch or don’t feel like making a mess, you can bake the meatballs in mini muffin tins, but the flavor and texture is so much better when they’re sauteed in coconut oil.  Mangiare!

Spaghetti Squash with Bison Meatballs

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

You’ll need:

1 large spaghetti squash

1 1/2 pounds ground bison

2 small shallots, diced small

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup almond flour

4 Tablespoons coconut oil

4 cups sugar free spaghetti sauce, or use my recipe below.

1. With a paring knife, poke about 8-10 holes in the spaghetti squash.  Place on a sheet pan and put in the oven for 1 hour.

2.  In a sauce pot, heat the spaghetti sauce over low heat and leave the heat on while you prepare the meatballs.

3. In a large bowl, mix the rosemary, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, eggs, and almond meal.

4. Get a small saute pan hot over medium heat and pour the olive oil in.  When the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are brown and soft.  

5.  Add the chicken stock to the shallots and let it reduce (evaporate) to about 2 tablespoons.  Take the pan off the heat and add it to the spice/almond meal/egg mixture.  Stir everything together well.

6.  Add the ground bison and, with your hands, mix everything together.  Roll the meat into about 1-1/2 inch meat balls.

7.  In a large saute pan over medium/high heat, melt about 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil.  When it is hot, add the meatballs to the pan.  (This will be done in two batches, so only add half the meatballs to the pan at one time.)  Let the meatballs brown for about a minute and, using tongs, turn them to brown them on the other side.  After a minute, do this one more time so that 3 sides are browned.

8.  Take the meatballs out of the pan and set them aside.  Add 2 more tablespoons of coconut oil to the pan and brown the remaining meatballs.

9.  Add the meatballs to the pot of hot spaghetti sauce and let them finish cooking in the sauce for about 10 minutes. 

10.  After the spaghetti squash is done, cut it in half and scrape out the seeds to throw away.  Using a fork, scrape the squash out of the shell and serve it with the bison meatballs and sauce.

If you’ve never made your own spaghetti sauce, I recommend making a big batch and freezing it in small containers, thawing it whenever you need it.  Most commercial sauces are packed with sugar, so making your own can definitely help you keep your diet clean.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

You’ll need:

4 14 ounce cans of tomato sauce

1 onion, chopped small

1 red pepper, chopped small

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat a sauce pot over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and when it is hot, add the onions, red peppers, rosemary and thyme.  Saute for 5 minutes, or until tender.

2.  Add the garlic and saute for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. 

3.  Add the chicken stock and stir, getting all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Let the stock reduce in half.

4.  Add the tomato sauce and turn the heat down to low.  Add the balsamic vinegar and let simmer for about half an hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste and crushed red pepper.