Spaghetti Squash Goulash

This Spaghetti Squash Goulash is my "go to" recipe on nights that I come home late from work or the gym and just don't have the energy or ambition to cook yet want something nutritious. I love this recipe because as long as you have three basic ingredients on hand—a jar of tomato sauce, ground sausage, and spaghetti squash—you golden. The rest is whatever vegetables you may have in your fridge that you want to throw in. 

I always keep a package of ground sausage, sweet or hot, stocked in the freezer, and a jar of my favorite tomato sauce in the pantry just for this recipe. The spaghetti squash is a more seasonal item, so sometimes I make it over gluten-free pasta or rice, but the squash is my favorite by far.

Below is the recipe for this particular evenings creation. Feel free to mix and match vegetables you have on hand in your fridge. I haven't come across a bad combination yet. If you like the vegetables you put in, I'm pretty sure it will come out just fine.

Spaghetti Squash Goulash
Ingredients:
1 whole medium spaghetti squash
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
10 ounces white button mushrooms, chopped
1 jar (24 ounces) tomato sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 green onion, chopped for garnish

Directions:
Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half and place cut side down in a microwave safe bowl. Add about 1/2 inch of water to the dish, cover and microwave for about 15 minutes, or until the squash is cooked all the way through. Once it is cooked through, uncover and let it cool for about 10 minutes before handling. 

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, begin to make the meat/vegetable mixture. Place the ground sausage in a medium-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. As the sausage cooks, use your spatula to crumble into small bite-sized pieces. Continue to cook sausage until almost cooked through and only some pink is showing. 

Next, add in your onions and garlic to the pan, stir to combine. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the rest of your vegetables to the pan. Cook vegetables stirring occasionally until desired tenderness, about 8-10 minutes. 

Add your tomato sauce to the pan, stir to combine. Add salt and pepper if needed. Turn heat down to low, cover pan and simmer for about 5 minutes while you prepare your spaghetti squash for serving.

Now that the squash has cooled enough to handle, take a spoon and remove the seeds, discard. Take a fork and begin to pull through the flesh of the squash making spaghetti-like strands. Place your spaghetti squash into serving bowls and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Spoon your meat/vegetable mixture over top of squash. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and green onion. Serve immediately. 

Yield: 4 servings.
This recipe is gluten-free, and nut-free. It can be easily made vegetarian by adding more vegetables in place of the meat.