Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
By :Keto In an Instant Cookbook By Stacey Crawford
Spaghetti squash makes for a lovely pasta alternative in this hearty, keto-friendly version of an Italian classic. Spaghetti squash is low in carbs and so simple to roast whole in the Instant Pot.
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Course Dinner
Cuisine Modern
Difficulty Easy
Browse Category Meat, Rice & Pastas
Duration 15-30 min
Cooking Technique Pressure Cook, Sauté
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 slices uncured pepperoni or salami chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp fine grind sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup beef broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 lb spaghetti squash washed and dried
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil ribbons optional
Course Dinner
Cuisine Modern
Difficulty Easy
Browse Category Meat, Rice & Pastas
Duration 15-30 min
Cooking Technique Pressure Cook, Sauté
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 slices uncured pepperoni or salami chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp fine grind sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup beef broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 lb spaghetti squash washed and dried
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil ribbons optional
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Instructions
  1. Select Sauté (Normal). Once the pot is hot, add the olive oil, ground beef, garlic, and onions. Sauté, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes or until the meat is browned.
  2. Add the crushed tomatoes, pepperoni or salami, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, parsley, sea salt, black pepper, and beef broth to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add the bay leaf.
  3. Using a paring knife, pierce the spaghetti squash 4 or 5 times on each side to create holes for venting the steam. Place the squash in the pot and on top of the sauce.
  4. Cover, lock the lid, and flip the steam release handle to the sealing position. Select Manual or Pressure Cook (High) and set the cook time for 8 minutes. When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
  5. Open the lid. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the squash to a cutting board and set aside to cool.
  6. Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir. Select Sauté (Less or Low), replace the lid, and let the sauce simmer for 6 minutes.
  7. While the sauce is simmering, slice the cooled squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Using a fork, scrape the flesh to create the noodles.
  8. Transfer the noodles to a colander to drain, pressing down on the noodles with paper towels to expel any excess moisture. Transfer the noodles to a serving platter.
  9. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle the sauce over top of the noodles and garnish with the Parmesan and basil ribbons (if using). Serve warm.
Recipe Notes

Tip
Unused portions of the squash noodles and meat sauce can be stored separately in resealable containers in the
refrigerator for up to one week.

Nutrition per serving
Calories: 230
Fat: 12g
Net carbs: 9g
Protein: 19g

8 replies
  1. Gerti
    Gerti says:

    Getting burn errors when following this. My pot seems to pass water test yet doesn’t seem to like this recipe

  2. Instant Pot
    Instant Pot says:

    Depending on the tomatoes used it may be too thick and may need some extra thin liquid. Also ensure that there are no stuck on bits after suateing as it will trip the burn warning

  3. Gerti
    Gerti says:

    I followed the recipe to the letter, I actually added a little extra water too, yet to no avail. Found the sauce was pretty thick, as per the recipe and think adding an additional cup of water would help. Next time I may not use crushed tomatoes, yet rather the watery diced tomatoes to help it. I found that the Tomato paste added at the end will thicken it enough anyway. Also, I think it is important to really cool down your inner pot after saute. I lifted mine out and waited till it was cool enough to put my hand on the bottom and still got a burn message. I know that this is an important step yet it didn’t help prevent the burn. My pot functions well on every other recipe yet tomato based sauces burn easier I feel.

  4. Dbreese
    Dbreese says:

    Yeah, cant get it to cook. Tried putting squash on a little wire rack to raise it up 1/2”, but still got BURN errors. Just tried adding 1 cup of water to the sauce and mixed it a bit and still got burn error… ugggh… there goes dinner!

    Total cook & prep time was about an hour for me and my boys. ~10 minutes prep + 5 minutes browning + 8 minutes pressure cooking + 20 minutes cooling + 6 minutes final stewing + 5 minutes to cut and scrape squash (but we havent yet been able to finish BURN

  5. Dbreese
    Dbreese says:

    Ok, We got past the burn errors after adding 2 cups of water. Kids and I think it smells delicous. Hoping for good results here in about 30 more minutes!

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *