Spaghetti squash with "meatballs" and broccoli

For my second time cooking with spaghetti squash, I decided to make a healthier, vegan version of a very simple and satisfying dish: spaghetti and meatballs with broccoli on the side. This is a cheap dinner that I ate frequently during my days as a poor college student, and it is definitely one of my comfort foods.

I baked the spaghetti squash the same way I did last time - slice in half lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil and bake cut side down on a foiled cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (then scoop it away from the skin with a fork).

For the pasta sauce, I started by sautéing chopped garlic in grapeseed oil and adding chopped onion and frozen vegan meatballs. I used 365 brand (from Whole Foods), and I sautéed them for about 15 minutes until they were browned. Homemade vegan meatballs would have been delicious, but for the sake of time I used frozen. Keep in mind that they are not gluten free, but you could certainly find an alternative and make a delicious gluten-free "pasta."

Once the meatballs began to brown, I added plain tomato sauce, more garlic, Italian seasoning and basil. I like keeping my pasta sauce simple and cheap by using the plain, canned tomato sauce and adding my own seasoning (this also limits the sugar, which seems to find its way into a lot of pasta sauces).

After allowing that to simmer for about five minutes, I scooped squash on my plate, topped it with the sauce/meatballs and added simple, steamed broccoli on the side (I just sprinkled it with a little lemon juice and sea salt). I topped the dish with some Parma! vegan Parmesan and cracked black pepper. Bellissimo!