Commentary

If you’ve never cooked spaghetti squash, you might be shocked at how easy it is. There is no spiraling device required. You don’t struggle to get the pasta right. It just is. If you’re looking for a decent pasta substitute to keep your carbs low, this is worth a try. There will be some carbs in the sauce, but you can find some with very minimal amounts. Either way, this is a great low cal meal.

For this meal, I picked up a package of Italian Style Meatballs from Kroger’s frozen aisle. Why not make my own? You certainly can, but this meal is designed for those looking for quick and easy. In the produce section, you’ll find several sizes and shapes, but keep in mind a medium size gourd will yield about as much as a pound of pasta. For the sauce, choose one you like, something that fits your tastes and needs. Some will have no sugar, some have some and others will be very rich.

What’s in my kitchen

• Dash Air Fryer
• Knorr’s Caldo con Sabor de Pollo

Recipe (per person)

• 6 ea — Italian style meatballs
• 1 cup — Cooked spaghetti squash
• 1 Tbsp — Caldo con Sabor de Pollo
• 0.5 spray — Avocado oil
• 1/2 cup — Spaghetti sauce
• 1 Tbsp — Grated parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat oven to 450 degree Bake.
2. Get a baking sheet and lay a sheet of foil or parchment across it, then spray that layer with a little oil to keep the squash from sticking to it
3. Get a large cutting board out and start cutting the spaghetti squash into 1-inch rings, and place the rings on the baking sheet
4. Spray the tops of the rings and place in the oven — these will cook for 20-30 minutes
5. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for 4 minutes.
6. Place 6 meatballs per person in the air fryer and set timer for 5 minutes, then stir and set for another 5 minutes
7. Pour your sauce into a small pot to heat up on the stove — you can do this while the other things are cooking and won’t need much more than a simmer
8. Pull squash from the oven and using a fork, pull the strands out of the outer shell into a large bowl
9. You shouldn’t need your kitchen scale but can use measuring cups and plate according to:
   1. 1 cup squash
   2. 1/2 cup sauce
   3. 6 meatballs
   4. garnish with parmesan

You can portion however you need to, but the above will give you about 360 calories. The picture I have here features a different, larger meatball so the number is off.

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