Vegetable Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash
Who doesn’t love a big bowl of spaghetti! Yes please! But a big bowl of pasta will spike your blood sugar leaving you feel weighed down, bloated and so tired that you’ll pass out on the couch.
I love using spaghetti squash. If you’ve never tried it before, spaghetti squash is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a squash that has an intricate flesh, that when cooked and pulled apart from the skin creates spaghetti-like strands.
Using spaghetti squash not only decreases the impact on your blood sugar that regular pasta would have, but it also provides more vitamins and minerals than wheat pasta, and avoids the inflammatory properties of wheat.
Spaghetti squash is great on its own with some butter, but is even better with some sauce!
This pasta sauce recipe is very nutrient rich. It’s packed with extra vegetables for a hearty and healthy sauce that add nutrients and flavor.
Pasture-raised beef is especially rich in many nutrients and an excellent source of protein. The great part of it is that we only need a small amount (3-4 oz) to reap the benefits. The extra veggies add meaty flavor and provide more vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy! You wouldn’t know there’s just as many vegetables as there is meat.
This is my go to pasta sauce. It’s great for a weeknight dinner and makes the best leftovers. A traditional bolognese usually takes 3+ hours to make to develop the flavor. This is definitely a short cut version because it only simmers for about 25 minutes. But, if you want, you could let it simmer for 3 hours to let the meat tenderize and to further develop and thicken the sauce.
Vegetable Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lb ground grass-fed pastured beef
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 3 celery stalks finely diced
- 1 lb mushrooms thinly sliced or diced
- 2 small zucchinis finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 cup beef bone broth
- 1, 18 oz jar whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add beef, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and break up the meat with a spoon or spatula until the meat is broken down. Let it cook undisturbed until browned on one side and almost cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat, place in a wide bowl and set aside.
- To the pot add onion, carrots, celery and ½ teaspoon sea salt and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, 5-8 minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchini and ½ teaspoon sea salt and cook until mushrooms have browned and released their moisture, about 8-10 minutes. There should not be very little to no moisture left in the pot.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, black pepper and stir. Cook just 1-2 minutes, until the tomato paste starts to stick to the pot and turn a dark brick-red.
- Return cooked beef to the pot. Add bone broth and stir to combine, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom. Add whole tomatoes and break down the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover for 30-45 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
- When it is your preferred consistency remove from heat, top with parlsey and serve over spaghetti squash.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons ghee melted or avocado oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400.
- There are two ways you can roast spaghetti squash:
- Halved: Cut the squash in half width-wise. This will result in longer "noodles". Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Place the halved squash, face up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with melted ghee and salt. Roast for 40-50 minutes until soft and the surface is a golden brown.
- Sliced: Cut the squash in 1 1/2 inch rounds. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Place the squash rounds, flat on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with melted ghee and salt. Roast for 30-35 minutes until soft and the surface is a golden brown.
- Once the squash is cooked, use a fork to pull the strands of flesh away from the skin. Place the spaghetti strands in a bowl and discard the skin. Season with more salt, pepper, ghee or oil, if desired. Serve with Meaty Vegetable Bolognese.
