Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu

On a no-pasta diet? Tasty spaghetti squash is a great stand-in for carb-dense noodles. Spaghetti squash is so versatile and easy to make! Enjoy it with salt and pepper as a side dish, drizzle it with butter and grated cheese, or top it with tomato sauce to replace your favorite spaghetti dish. 

One cup of cooked spaghetti made from white, enriched noodles, contains approximately 220 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates and very few nutrients. Comparably, one cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides about 42 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and a host of important nutrients such as vitamin A and potassium.
Once you find out how really easy it is to roast spaghetti squash you'll be craving it more and on the hunt for recipes. 

I found this step by step video on how to roast spaghetti squash helpful.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/photos/how-to-roast-spaghetti-squash

BEEF RAGU BOLOGNESE 
Ever wonder what the difference is between a Ragu' and Sauce? You might think that they are one and the same since they all go with pasta. But there are differences.

"Sugo" or sauce is a general term that indicates a fluid sauce. It can be a simple tomato sauce like a marinara or can include whole plum tomatoes and some other ingredients, cut small.
A ragu' is a thick, chunky sauce usually made by cooking several kinds of meat in a sauce, usually tomato. That said, a ragu' can also made with seafood, vegetables or a combination of these.

The most famous ragu's in Italy are the Bolognese and the Napoletan. A Bolognese ragu' is made with ground meat cooked with vegetables and a small amount of concentrated tomato.

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu
Cook's Notes: Roasted Spaghetti squash topped with a simple meat sauce that has simmered with tomatoes, onion, carrots and celery. I loved this low carb dish, you won't even miss the pasta and you save on calories.
Recipe serves four and adapted from skinnytaste.com 
Ingredients:

• 8 cups cooked spaghetti squash from 2 medium, about 6 lbs. 
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

For the Meat Sauce

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup each diced onion, carrots, celery
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 (14.5 oz. can) crushed tomatoes, basil and garlic
• 1 (14.5 oz. can) whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Add chopped onions, celery, carrots to food processor. Pulse four times.    
• In a large deep pan add olive oil and saute chopped veggies on medium heat for four minutes. 
• Add in crumbled meat and cook on low covered. Drain mixture and pat meat dry of grease and return back to fry pan.  
• Add in one can crushed tomatoes, one can whole tomatoes, sugar, Italian seasoning, bay leaf and wine. Cook on low heat one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop and clean out flesh. Spray inside of squash and outside edges with cooking spray. Salt and pepper and roast 45 minutes or until fork tender drawing threads through the squash. 
• Place cooked spaghetti squash in a bowl and cover to keep warm until serving. 
• Grate Parmesan cheese over top of each Beef Ragu serving.