Heat up the grill and grab the spaghetti squash because this dish is a delicious way to serve up a healthy Fall favorite. Served with a veggie-packed Bolognese sauce this grilled spaghetti squash recipe is one the whole family can feel good about.
Preheat your grill to medium heat (350 degrees F).
Slice open your spaghetti squash so that it is opened vertically and now two oval shapes. Both sides should have a stem piece at the top.
Remove the seeds and strands from inside of the squash and then discard those pieces.
Brush the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill for about 10 minutes, skin side down over indirect heat (meaning not over the flame but still on the main rack). Then flip over and cook for another 10-15 minutes so that they are cut side down. Cook until the insides can easily be separated by a fork.
Remove from heat, allow to cool 5 minutes before shredding with a fork and serving with sauce.
To make the bolognese sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large pan or in a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until sizzling.
Add in the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until soft.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add in the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat chunks as you go. This should take about 10 minutes.
Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Add in the crushed tomatoes and chopped parsley. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour for deeper flavor.
Serve over your cooked squash and top with parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Recipe Tips
If desired you can scale the recipe down in half. You can add in more or remove some of the veggies inside of the sauce. I personally like knowing that I'm getting my kids to eat more veggies so I usually add in a little more (sometimes I'll toss in some spinach with the parsley).
If you want more meat in your sauce I recommend adding in 1 pound of ground pork when you cook the ground beef. This will help to give a nicer flavor and a much more meaty texture.
The longer the sauce simmers, the more time the flavor has to develop and the less "tomato-y" the sauce will taste. 15 minutes is good, but an hour is great.
Storage
You can keep your leftover squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best tasting results I recommend eating within 3 or 4 days. Just reheat and eat with pasta sauce, cheese, or simple butter and herbs.