Spaghetti Squash with Paleo Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 0.25 cups water
• 1 spaghetti squash , halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• 1 white onion , diced
• 9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 zucchini , diced
• 1 green bell pepper , chopped
• 1 red bell pepper , chopped
• 1 can crushed tomatoes , 14.5 ounce
• 1 can crushed tomatoes , 8 ounce
• 0.25 cups chopped fresh basil , or to taste
• 0.25 cups chopped fresh oregano , or to taste
• 0.25 cups chopped fresh thyme , or to taste
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes , or to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. 2

   Pour water into a baking dish. Place squash halves, cut-sides down, into the baking dish.

3. 3

   Roast in the preheated oven until squash is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. 4

   While squash is roasting, cook and stir ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to remove beef mixture to a plate. Drain and discard grease from the skillet.

5. 5

   Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, both amounts of crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes in hot oil until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in beef mixture and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   While beef is simmering, scrape the insides of hot spaghetti squash halves with a fork to shred into strands; divide onto 8 plates. Drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and top with a generous amount of meat sauce.