Plucked this one out of the Toronto Star recently – it sounded interesting. It does have a few moving parts – but it turned out great. While the kids weren’t all that keen on the spaghetti squash – they still ate it which is always a bonus. It made just enough to feed the five of us (with a bit of leftover squash). For more people or bigger eaters, I would recommend making double the amount of meatballs. Otherwise, this recipe is probably more than enough for two or even three diners. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
5 T olive oil
1/2 c. minced shallots (I didn’t buy shallots, forgot to buy green onion so I used a bit of diced cooking onion instead)
1/2 Granny smith green apple – peeled, cored and grated
1 lb. ground pork (I would recommend increasing this amount)
1 lg. egg
1 T minced fresh sage + 12 whole sage leaves
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 lg. spaghetti squash – halved lengthwise with seeds removed
1 c. chicken broth
2 t. grated lemon zest
In a large pan over medium heat, heat 1 T. of oil. Add shallots and shredded apple and stir occasionally for about three to five minutes. Then transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add ground pork, egg, minced sage, 1/2 t salt and pepper to the bowl as well. Using your hands, mix everything until well-combined and then shape into about 20 meatballs. Set them aside.
At this point in time, the recipe calls you to microwave the squash – but I baked it in a 375F oven for 45 minutes (cut sides down).
While squash is cooking, heat 1 T oil in the pan over medium heat and cook meatballs until browned all over (do it in batches so you aren’t over-crowding) – about 10 minutes. Once cooked, transfer meatballs to a large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add chicken broth to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a spatula. Pour the broth over the meatballs in the bowl and recover with foil.
Heat 2 T of oil in the pan over medium heat and fry the fresh sage leaves for about 30 seconds, turning with tongs once or twice. Transfer leaves to a paper towel-lined plate and allow them to crisp up.
Once squash is done cooking, scrape out strands into a large dish and toss with 1 T oil, 1/4 t. salt and lemon zest.
Divide squash among the plates, place meatballs on top and drizzle with the broth. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and serve immediately.
Delicious!