Healthy Foods

Ingredients

• Spaghetti
• 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Meatballs:
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1 pound turkey meat
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup plus feta cheese
• Sauce
• 2 28-ounce cans of tomato puree
• 2 large sprigs of basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash, cut-side up, in a baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Sprinkle the cut sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then brush both sides with olive oil. Roast 20 minutes, then uncover and continue roasting until the squash is tender about 35 more minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pulse the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and parsley in a food processor to make a paste. Transfer half of the vegetable paste to a bowl; add the turkey meat, egg, breadcrumbs, feta, and 1 teaspoon salt and mix with your hands until just combined. Form into about 24 two-inch meatballs; transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until firm but not cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3. Make the sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining vegetable paste and cook, occasionally stirring, until it looks dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree; rinse each can with 1 cup water and add to the pot. Stir in the basil, oregano, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, then add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the basil.
4. Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into strands; transfer to a large bowl. Season with salt. Divide the squash among bowls and top each with some meatballs, sauce.
5. This recipe makes extra sauce and meatballs. Let cool completely, then freeze in a storage container for up to one month!