Healthly Italian: Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meat Sauce

I am Italian! Thus, I love to cook, I love to entertain, and I love my pasta! However, both time and health are of the essence for myself and I am sure they are for you too! I have always had an eye and a taste for "health-i-fying" recipes. And to my dad's credit, here is one of my favorite healthy Italian style dishes! This meal is a great one for guests and will leave them in awe once they realize it is not really spaghetti they are eating. Spaghetti squash and turkey meat sauce is simple, quick, and healthy. I threw it together last night with a friend and she was amazed at how easy it was to make and how delicious it tasted! I did my best to document my process last night, let me know if you have any questions when you give it a go!

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash (1-2 depending on size and number you are cooking for)

 - I picked up two small ones: serving 2-3

1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey

1 jar Trader Joe's Spaghetti Sauce

1 12 oz can diced tomatoes

12 oz of water

Pam

The Squash:

Cut and Cleaned out!

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees

2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half vertically

3. Scoop out the guts and discard

4. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil

5. Place the squash hollow side down on the cookie sheet

6. Add and inch deep of water on the cookie sheet to keep squash moist

7. Place sheet in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until top of squash is soft

8. Once squash is done, remove and let cool a few minutes (they are hot!)

9. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash into a bowl to make "spaghetti"                 

 

    

The Meat and Sauce

**get started on the meat and sauce while the squash is in the oven**

1. Spray cooking pan with Pam

2. Cook turkey in pan until brown

3. Pour sauce into large pot on medium heat

4. Add in can diced tomatoes

5. Add in 12 oz of water

6. Add in cooked meat

7. Once sauce starts to boil, lower heat to a simmer and stir occasionally

 

Time to eat!  Dish out your spaghetti squash with meat sauce and enjoy! Serve it up with a healthy salad topped with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. If you have the chance to make it, let me know what you think!  Also, as a side note, I have made this before with ground venison and ground bison, both were amazing!

The finished dish! So delicious!

Simply, Fine Tune Your Instrument!

Thank you all so much for the positive feedback and follow up over the past few weeks! I love hearing from you!

I am on the plane now heading back to my hometown, Columbus, Ohio to work at The Arnold Sports Festival Expo for Larabar. I can remember going down to the event as anaspiring fitness competitor in high school. As the years went on, I looked forward to attending the expo, in hopes of working for a company one day. (If you have never been to the Arnold expo, it’s a one of a kind experience) Three years ago my hopes of working for a company came true, and I was offered a position with Larabar, a company I didn’t know much about. Originally, I was hoping to work for a flashy supplement company who had picture perfect promoters. But the more I have learned about the industry, I have realized it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The key to a great physique and health is real food and real work.

I now love the product I represent. The reality of it is, many supplement companies, diet pills, and fitness gadgets are mere marketing money-makers. Many supplements are filled with proprietary blends, unproven claims, and synthesized with chemicals. The company I work for is an all natural, no preservative added food bar. It’s the real deal.

Myself with the lovely Alicia Marie & Kayla at the Arnold 2010.

The point of my blog, is not to go eat Larabars, though I wouldn’t be opposed. Rather it’s realizing the power of simplicity.  The key to good health and wellness, is not a complicated matter. Eat real food and be active. 

Another analogy I often think of is one from strength coach, Peter Twist. Though I have adopted my own spin on the lesson. Take for example my short six-year stint as a child pianist. My mother “forced” me to play, though I hated practicing. Once a week I would go to my lesson, and somehow be able to play as though I had spent hours practicing.  My teacher always seem impressed, and after every lesson my mother would say, “Kel, imagine if you had practiced.”  Eventually, in the sixth grade, my wish to quit was granted. In hindsight, I wish I would have stuck with it. If I could play the piano well with only sixty minutes a week for six years, I can't imagine how well I'd have been able to play today.

So take this example of the piano. We might not all play a music instrument,  but we do have an instrument we can work to improve everyday. We have it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. It's our bodies.

My point is from the sketchy supplements, quick fixes, to junk food, and laziness, these are all ways we may neglect our personal instrument, ultimately hindering its ability to be played to the fullest. 

How will you tune your instrument today? Eat real and go play! 

Fine tuning my instrument :)!