Lighten the load with this tasty alternative to pasta

Low Carb Venison Meat Sauce Over Roasted Spaghetti Squash Recipe

5-7

Servings

Easy

Difficulty

With Christmas and New Year's feasts on the horizon, cutting a few carbs isn't a bad idea this time of year.

As much as I love a big plate of spaghetti with a simple venison sauce, substituting roasted spaghetti squash for the pasta isn't a terrible trade off. To make it even tastier, drizzle the squash with olive oil and sprinkle on a bit of garlic powder and Kosher salt before roasting.

Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and serve topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Is it the same as real spaghetti noodles? Not really, but it isn't bad. Give it a try sometime. I bet you'll agree. This quick and easy tomato sauce works for just about any Italian-style dish. It's a handy one to keep in your pocket when you need a quick sauce.

Ingredients

Sauce

2 pounds ground venison

2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes

½ stick of butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning blend

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

½ teaspoon dried basil

Squash

3 medium-sized spaghetti squash

Salt

Garlic powder

Olive oil

Cooking Instructions

Start by halving the squash lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the center soft flesh and seeds. Clean the squash down to the firm flesh, discarding or roasting the seeds.

Place the squash, flesh side up, on a baking-sheet pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder, kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 1 hour at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and allow the squash to cool just a bit before using a fork to flake the roasted flesh into spaghetti-like strands.

Roast the seasoned squash, then shred it with a fork into pasta like strands.

While the squash roasts, start the sauce by browning the ground venison in a heavy pot. Add the diced garlic and continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes. Add the dehydrated minced onion, both cans of sauce, both cans of diced tomatoes, the basil and the Italian seasoning blend. Stir well. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce the heat, and cook for 30 minutes. Just before serving, add the butter and stir into the sauce for added richness.

Adding butter to the sauce gives it a

To serve, pile roasted spaghetti squash on a plate and top liberally with sauce. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.