Love pasta but hate the carb coma that hits after you eat it? When you grind grains into flour, they digest more rapidly into sugar! This causes a spike in blood sugar levels, followed by a crash, leading to that tired, heavy feeling after we eat traditional bread or pasta. Switching over to more whole food based pasta substitutes is a great way to enjoy all the flavor of your favorite dishes without the blood sugar spike and crash! Spaghetti squash is one of the most popular (and easiest) noodle substitutes. Zucchini noodles or Hearts of Palm pasta can be used in place of spaghetti squash if you don’t care for it (or if you have a sensitivity to squash).
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- ¼ cup black or kalamata olives
- 1 can/jar artichoke hearts
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Sea salt and black pepper (omit for strict AIP) to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half and clean out the seeds. Sprinkle insides with 1/4 tsp salt and a little olive oil. Place cut side down on baking dish/sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes.
- Add onion and 1 TBSP olive oil to a large pan. Saute on medium heat until onions are translucent, then add ground meat. Saute until browned, then remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
- In another large bowl, toss the vegetables, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt/black pepper. Add to the same pan you cooked the meat in and saute for 10-15 minutes over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Stir meat into veggie mixture, add italian seasoning, and additional salt/pepper if needed.
- Remove squash from oven and allow it to cool slightly, then use a fork to separate strands.
- Top squash with meat/vegetable mixture (and a little goat cheese or parmesan, if you tolerate dairy) and serve warm!