Spaghetti Squash with Turkey, Feta & Spinach Meatballs and Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce

It's well known that spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta. Mixed with my Turkey, Feta & Spinach Meatballs and my Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce, this dish makes a great healthy alternative to traditional spaghetti and meatballs. 

Start off by cutting a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and cleaning the inside. 

Place both halves on a foil lined baking sheet with the cut parts facing up. Cook for 45 minutes at 375^o F. Once cooked, remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and shred the insides using a fork. 

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, you can start making your meatballs. In a bowl, mix together 300 grams of extra lean ground turkey, half a cup of cooked long grain brown rice, half a cup of crumbled light feta cheese, one cup of finely chopped baby spinach, a quarter teaspoon of onion powder, a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder and sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. 

Form into 20 small balls and cook in a skillet on medium heat until they brown and are fully cooked. 

For the sauce, you'll start off by heating up two teaspoon of extra virgin olive in a sauce pan. Add in four minced garlic cloves and one cup of diced white onion. Cook until they brown, then add in four cups of diced tomatoes, two tablespoons of basil paste and sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. 

Assemble your dish by mixing together the spaghetti squash, the sauce and the meatballs. Each serving will have one and a half cups of cooked spaghetti squash, 5 meatballs and a quarter of the tomato sauce.

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey, Feta & Spinach Meatballs and Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce 

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 Large spaghetti squash

4 cups Tomatoes, diced

1 cup White onion, diced

4 Garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp Basil paste

2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Meatballs:

300g Lean ground turkey

½ cup Cooked long grain brown rice

½ cup Light feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped

¼ tsp Onion powder

¼ tsp Garlic powder

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

Spaghetti squash:

1. Preheat oven to 375^o F.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and clean the inside. Place on a baking sheet with the inside facing up and cook for 45 minutes.
2. Once cooked, removed from oven and with a fork, shred the inside of both halves.

Meatballs:

1. In a bowl, mix together ground turkey, rice, feta, spinach, garlic powder, onion powder and salt & pepper.
2.  Form into small balls. Will make approximately 20 meatballs.
3.  Transfer to a skillet and cook on medium heat until they are browned and fully cooked.

Sauce:

1. Heat up olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and onion and cook until they brown.
2. Add tomatoes, basil paste, sea salt and ground pepper. 
3. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.

Assemble your dish by mixing together the spaghetti squash, the sauce and the meatballs. Each serving will have 1½ cups of cooked spaghetti squash, 5 meatballs and a quarter of the tomato sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving is approximately  305 calories.