Savory Winter Red Sauce on a Bed of Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

• 1. Split and deseeded spaghetti squash
• 2. Three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 3. A quarter cup of plant-based sausage crumbles
• 4. Finely diced small onion
• 5. Chopped small green bell pepper
• 6. Minced garlic cloves
• 7. Half a cup of fresh mushroom slices
• 8. A can of tomato sauce (6.5 ounces)
• 9. Tomato paste from a 6-ounce can
• 10. Three-quarters cup of water
• 11. Two tablespoons of dried Italian herbs mix
• 12. Brown sugar measuring two tablespoons
• 13. Sea salt, two teaspoons
• 14. Ground black pepper, one teaspoon

Step 1

To start, preheat your oven to a cozy 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Next, place the halves of the spaghetti squash facing down on a baking dish, and pour in roughly an inch of water for some steaming magic.

Step 3

Let it bake in the awaiting oven until the flesh becomes tender and the skin yields effortlessly to a fork, typically around 45 minutes.

Step 4

While the squash works its oven charm, in a spacious skillet over medium heat, warm up a drizzle of olive oil. Toss in the vegan sausage, onions, bell peppers, and garlic, cooking and stirring until the veggies reach a delightful tenderness, usually 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 5

Introduce the mushrooms and let them mingle for an additional 3 minutes.

Step 6

Then, stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, sea salt, and black pepper. Cover and let it simmer while the squash finishes baking, about 35 minutes.

Step 7

Once the squash is tender, scoop out its flesh onto a plate and use two forks to fluff up those delightful strands.

Step 8

Finally, generously top the squash strands with the flavorful sauce before serving.