Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Marinara

Recipe from David Kirsch

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash (4-5 pounds)
1 vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup crushed tomato
2 tablespoons low-sodium tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3/4 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg white
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 dashes hot pepper sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wrap the whole squash in foil. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 1 to 1 hours, until tender when pierced with a fork, turning the squash over halfway through cooking. Set aside to cool.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add the plum tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and basil. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, egg white, shallots, mustard, parsley, oregano, pepper, and hot-pepper sauce. Mix gently and shape into 8 meatballs.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the meatballs and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning often, until browned all over. Pour the tomato sauce that you set aside previously over the meatballs in the skillet. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Cut the cooked spaghetti squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Scoop out 3 cups of squash from the shell. (Reserve the remaining squash for future use). Arrange the squash on a serving platter and top with the meatball-marinara sauce mixture.


Variation:
Replace the turkey with ground buffalo meat for a higher protein, richer tasting meatball. Buffalo is leaner and has a much bolder flavor than turkey. Cook the buffalo meatballs for 6 to 8 minutes to be sure they're fully browned.