Ingredients:

2 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
Dash of sea salt
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato paste
8 ounces water
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Jackson Kelly, a fourth-grader at St. Jude the Apostle School, Sandy Springs, is the Georgia winner of First Lady Michelle Obama’s fifth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a nationwide recipe contest that promotes cooking and healthy eating among children ages 8-12. Here Kelly poses with his winning dish of spaghetti squash and turkey Bolognese. Photo By Michael Alexander

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Sprinkle spaghetti squash with sea salt and herbes de Provence and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place on a baking sheet or pan, cut side up, and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, uncover and continue baking for 45 minutes or until the flesh can be scooped out with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick pan, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly brown. Add the turkey and cook about 8 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, then simmer for about 30 minutes.

To assemble:

Scoop out the flesh of the spaghetti squash, divide among the plates, and top with the sauce and Parmesan cheese (if desired). Serve with a slice of garlic whole wheat toast drizzled with olive oil and garlic powder. Makes six servings.