Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Serves 6 to 8 Skill Level: Moderate

This rich meaty sauce speaks comfort food. A traditional Italian dish of ground or finely chopped veal and pork are slow-simmered to make a delicious sauce. In this recipe I’ve substituted beef for the veal and have added Pancetta, an Italian style bacon, for extra yummy goodness!

Ingredients

1 large Spaghetti Squash

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 lb. Ground Pork

4 oz Pancetta Bacon, minced or finely chopped (I buy it already chopped.)

1 cup Yellow Onions, finely chopped

2 ribs Celery, sliced lengthwise down the middle and then finally chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

½ cup Chianti Italian Red Wine

4 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2 cups Beef Broth

¼ cup Organic Heavy Cream or Almond Milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Garnish with

Italian Parsley, roughly chopped

Parmigiana Reggiano or Parmesan Cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees to cook the spaghetti squash. While oven is preheating carefully, with a sharp knife, slice spaghetti squash in half length-ways. Scoop out all seeds and discard. Fill a baking dish with 1 inch of water in the bottom and place spaghetti squash flesh side down in the water. The squash will steam. Place pan in oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until you can easily poke a fork thru the outer skin. Remove from oven and leave in water to keep warm.

For the Bolognese Sauce, brown the Pancetta bacon in a large sauté pan. Remove Pancetta from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Drain any excess Pancetta grease from the pan leaving just enough to cook the onions & celery. Add the onions and celery to the pan and sauté until translucent. Add the Pancetta back to the pan along with the minced garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed to avoid sticking. Add the ground pork and the ground beef to the sauté pan. Use edge of spatula or pastry cutter to chop and breakup the ground meats as finely as possible. Continue cooking until meat is cooked through and no pink is showing. Add wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and beef broth. Mix well and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer 30 to 45 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir occasionally. Once sauce has thickened, add salt & pepper to taste. (The pancetta and beef broth are both salty so taste first to see if salt is needed.) Stir in cream or almond milk and simmer for another minute or two. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Prepare spaghetti squash by carefully removing the spaghetti squash from the hot water. Scrape the flesh into a bowl with a fork. The flesh will come out in “spaghetti” like strands. Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.

To serve, place a spoonful of spaghetti squash on a plate and top with sauce. Garnish with Italian parsley and Parmigiana Reggiano.

Buon Gusto!

* Simply28, Gluten Free, Paleo (omit optional dairy)

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