Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies >> paleo, gluten-free
This healthy feel good Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies is low maintenance and delicious, with only 9 ingredients! You can also make this entire meal in the Instant Pot -- I included instructions in the notes section.
Perfect for weekend or weeknight dinners, this recipe is also Paleo and gluten-free. It's a favorite nutrient-dense meal for healing after illness or autoimmune flares.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise with seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly and halved
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 16-18 medium cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
For Serving:
- salt and pepper to taste
- a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over each plate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place spaghetti squash halves flat (cut side down) on a baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a skillet on medium-high heat, sauté onion and bell pepper in oil for five minutes or until they begin to soften.
- Add mushrooms. Once mushrooms release liquid after a few minutes, turn to high heat to boil off the liquid. Once most liquid is boiled off, bring to medium heat and add the beef. Cook for about five minutes until beef is cooked through. Then turn off heat and add fresh basil leaves. Stir into mixture to wilt.
- Use a fork to noodle the spaghetti squash by gently scraping inwards from the sides, along the grain of the squash. Serve the beef and vegetable mixture on a pile of spaghetti noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to each dish.
Notes
How to make Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies in the Instant Pot:
- Halve and remove seeds from the spaghetti squash.
- Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot. Then add the steamer rack trivet and place the spaghetti squash halves on top. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes, allowing steam to release naturally for 10 minutes after cooking. Then manually release steam with the steam release button. Carefully remove the spaghetti squash.
- Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, follow the instructions for the beef and veggies. All other instructions are the same!
Substitute the green bell pepper for green beans if in an autoimmune flare. While this is a classic healing recipe in my home, know that bell peppers (part of the nightshade family) can aggravate some digestive diseases. In this case, substitute green beans for the bell pepper.
Add that balsamic drizzle at the end, after plated. If you add balsamic vinegar to the skillet, you'll end up with too much remaining at the bottom. For even distribution, add the drizzle at the end, after plated with the spaghetti squash.
