Spaghetti made out of squash? Is that even a thing?

It is, and it tests pretty darn delicious!

In today’s recipe, the familiar flavors of Italian cuisine coat a bed of spaghetti squash noodles. But wait…add in some meatballs and bread crumbs to give this dish some protein and texture!

This is the new way to do spaghetti. What’s your favorite healthy Italian dish? Let us know in the comments below!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 3/4 of a cup of grain-free bread crumbs
• 1/3 of a cup of basil pesto
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
• 6 cups of butternut squash noodles
• 1 (24 oz.) jar of marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF, and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with olive oil.
2. Use your hands to combine the beef, bread crumbs, pesto, sea salt, and black pepper. Roll the mixture into about fifteen 1-inch meatballs. Place the meatballs in the prepared pan and bake them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs, setting them aside on a pan, then drain off any liquids from the pan.
3. Spread the noodles in the pan. Pour the marinara sauce over the noodles and toss gently with tongs to coat. Add the meatballs back to the pan, gently nestling them throughout the noodles. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven. Toss it to coat the noodles and meatballs with the sauce. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper and garnish with fresh basil.

Nutritional Facts

Servings: 1

Calories: 289

Fat: 10g

Carbohydrates: 23g

Fiber: 4g

Protein: 26g

Craving more nutritional advice? Click here to check out Beyond the Scale, the official health and wellness podcast of Fit Body Boot Camp!