Ready to try something new, but are skeptic to stray too far from what you know? Then this recipe is going to be perfect for you! It's the the New: Spaghetti Squash, and the Familiar: Meat Sauce! Squash is pretty cheap year round, so in the end this dinner is, delicious, cost effective AND healthy!
You may have been making Bolognese Sauces for years, and not even knowing it! It's just the "technical" name for a traditional tomato and meat sauce!
Pre-heat your oven to 350, and get your ingredients together!
Ingredients:
- 1 whole Spaghetti Squash
- Ground Beef
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced tomato (I used up a can I had on hand, but fresh is best!)
- Minced Garlic (Optional, but all Italian dishes NEED garlic! )
- Bell pepper (I used 3 Sweet Mini Bell peppers, one regular size one will work fine.
- Diced White Onion (1/4 of a whole one)
- (Don't forget the freezer isle has a nice selection of pre-cut veggies, there's no shame in using those! This is a judge free space!!)
- Seasonings- I used an Italian Mix (pictured in tutorial)
First, you will need to cut off the bottom of the squash, so that it can stand on its own.
Not a lot, just enough to make it sit flat.
With it sitting flat, you should be able to easily and safely cut down the center of the squash.
Go slow, if this is your first time cutting something this big!
Nice! Smells a bit like pumpkin doesn't it? :)
Next take a spoon, and scoop out the seeds, and inside!
(Like you would a pumpkin!)
Next, oil up a sheet pan, and lay them skin side up.
Place them in an oven preheated at 350.
This part will take an hour, so come back 15-20 minutes before your timer goes off to start the meat sauce!
All the things we need for the homemade Bolognese Sauce!
First, brown your meat while your Soux Chef cuts up your bell peppers and onion.
If you are not blessed with a kitchen assistant, you can cut up your veggies while your meat browns.
There's no real reason to babysit your ground beef.
Out of my leftover 1/4 of an onion, and about 3 mini bell peppers, we got 1/2 cup total of veggies.
That's about 1/4 cup of each.
With a little oil in the pan, over medium heat (around 5 on your stove dial) start sauteing your veggies.
Add your minced garlic in at this time too!
Oh. I'm using the same pan that I ground my beef in.
The beef is sitting in a colander/pasta strainer in the sink.
When your veggies are soft (The onions will start to look translucent)
This is when we add our tomatoes.
IF you are using canned, don't add your tomato sauce yet!
We are going to turn our stove up a little, and boil out the extra moisture from the canned tomatoes.
You wont have to do this with a fresh tomato cut up.
Now is also a good time to add your seasonings!
(About 2 tablespoons of Italian Mix, is what I used)
You'll know when to add the tomato sauce when you can move the veggies around with out any extra juice going to the center.
It took my pan about 5ish minutes to boil the extra juice out.
Don't forget to turn your heat back down to medium.
Add your tomato sauce (and meat)
And the Sauce is done!!
At this point, the longer this sits on Low to cook, the better it will be.
But, I'm impatient, and it's fine to eat now :)
My squash is a crispy on the edges, but the center is perfect.
Just poke a fork in it to see how soft it is.
With a fork, shred out the inside of the squash.
It will come out super easily!
(Don't be lazy like my Soux Chef... Take out the burnt bits, please)
You can add your squash directly to the sauce, but I felt like it would drown in how much 1lb of ground beef made, so we just plated the squash up, and them ladled it on top!
Is this something you will try?
I would love to see your version!!
Take a picture and let me see on my FB page!!
I'm always taking requests for my food blogs!
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Always wanted to try ____ ,but not sure where to start?
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