Careme

Ingredients

• Kroger® Mild Italian Style Pork Meatballs 10–12 oz (about 10–12 meatballs) $5.00 sale (16 oz)
• Organic Spaghetti Squash 1 medium (about 2–2.5 lb) $1.99/lb
• Simple Truth Organic® Whole Baby Bella Mushrooms 8 oz, sliced $4.49 (8 oz)
• Simple Truth Organic® Roma Tomatoes 2–3 tomatoes, diced (or use canned tomatoes if you have) $3.99 (16 oz)
• Organic Garlic 3 cloves, minced $6.99 (1 lb)
• Olive oil 2 Tbsp
• Italian seasoning or dried oregano 1 tsp
• Crushed red pepper (optional) pinch
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• Parmesan (optional) 2–3 Tbsp, grated
• Fresh basil (optional) a few leaves

Instructions

1. Prep: Heat oven to 425°F. Carefully halve spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast the squash (oven): Place cut-side down on a sheet pan. Roast 30–35 minutes until the skin yields when pressed and strands pull easily with a fork.
3. Start the sauce (stove): While squash roasts, heat a large skillet over medium with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt; cook 6–8 minutes until browned and their moisture cooks off.
4. Build flavor: Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced Roma tomatoes plus 1/4 cup water. Simmer 5 minutes, mashing tomatoes a bit to make a quick sauce. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.
5. Simmer meatballs: Nestle meatballs into the sauce. Cover and simmer 10–12 minutes, turning once, until heated through and coated (add a splash of water if sauce gets too tight).
6. Finish squash: Flip squash cut-side up to cool 2 minutes. Scrape strands with a fork into bowls. Season strands with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
7. Serve: Spoon mushroom-tomato meatballs over the spaghetti squash. Finish with Parmesan and basil if you have it.