Take out Equipment and ingredients.
The night before: Sauté onions at med-high heat in a fry pan until translucent and caramel colored (Hence caramelize).
Finely chop shallot, adding to pan as you chop.
Add garlic.
Add meat and stir until no longer pink. Add to center crock of crock-pot.
Finely chop green pepper. Add to pot as you chop.
Wash and slice mushrooms adding to pot as you slice.
Add sauce, tomatoes and paste. Stir. Cover and place in fridge overnight.
In the morning: Return center crock with cover to the outer liner of crock pot and set on low heat.
When you get home for dinner: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Smash spaghetti squash with a hammer until it splits lengthwise.
Scrap out seeds and discard. Brush olive oil on the inside of both halves.
Sprinkle with curry powder. Place on shallow oven safe pan, oil side up.
Set timer for 35 minutes (Total cooking time approx 55 minutes).
Meanwhile: Rinse all veggies in a colander. Cut broccoli and cauliflower into dipping size pieces.
Slice red pepper into strips. Set aside.
Trade out veggies your family loves.
Pour ranch dressing in a dipping bowl and set aside.
When timer rings for squash, leave squash in the oven.
Fill a large stove-top pot with water. Heat at high. Once boiling, place pasta in boiling water and stir. Cook uncovered 10 minutes or follow package directions.
For the squash lovers: Run a fork along the inside of the squash. Take the spaghetti-like shreds and set aside in a bowl until done.
Pile the amount of shredded squash you prefer back into the empty squash but on the outside edges only.
Ladle pasta sauce into the center so you can still see a rim of shredded squash. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
When timer rings for pasta, rinse and toss with a little olive oil and basil if you like.
