Spaghetti Squash “Spaghetti” with Buffalo Bolognese Sauce
Who doesn’t love spaghetti? (If you say “me!” I want to hear from you; otherwise this is a rhetorical question.)
Talk about winter comfort food. And a healthy version at that! In this dish, using spaghetti squash in the place of spaghetti gives you a low-carb infusion of dense nutrients and fiber, and using ground buffalo gives you a beef alternative that provides a lower-fat boost of warming proteins for a well-rounded, delicious dish that is sure to become a new favorite.
We had a lovely dinner recently with our friends Tiffany and Chad where they served us a delicious spaghetti squash preparation with lentils (great for a vegan option, by the way), which reminded me I hadn’t celebrated this squash at all up until now. So here’s the celebration of spaghetti squash in this season of squashes…
Spaghetti Squash “Spaghetti” with Buffalo Bolognese Sauce
Spaghetti Squash
Squash makes about 6 cups or 6 servings ~ leftover suggestions located at end of recipe
Bolognese sauce makes about 4 cups or 6-8 servings ~ great for freezing extras
Ingredients
For the spaghetti squash:
- 1 medium size spaghetti squash, cut length-wise and seeds and pulp removed
Note: you may later roast the seeds if you like
For the dairy-free bolognese sauce a la Simla:
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 large carrot, scrubbed but skin left on, chopped (slice, then quarter each slice for a “chunky” chop without as much fuss)
Bolognese Sauce
- 4 large ripe roma tomatoes, skin on, chopped
Alternative: the tomatoes may be replaced with 1 medium carrot if you are avoiding nightshade vegetables - 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound ground buffalo or bison meat, ideally grass-fed (not grain-fed)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (note: the alcohol cooks away so no worries for those of you off of alcohol)
- 1.5 – 2 cups gluten-free beef or chicken or veggie broth, based on how thick or runny you prefer the sauce
Alternative: replace 1/2 cup of broth with organic plain yogurt for added creaminess - 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme or oregano leaves (or more, to taste)
- 3/4 tsp cumin powder (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp coriander (optional – I like to add as many spices as possible for nutritional and anti-inflammatory benefit)
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- While you’re waiting for the oven to heat up, prepare the spaghetti squash and chop your veggies.
- Once the oven is at 375 degrees, place prepared spaghetti squash in oven using an oven-safe dish, rind-side up and bake for 30-40 minutes, until inside of squash is easily pierced with a fork. Once cooked, set aside to cool down.
- Once the squash has cooled down, use a large fork to lightly scrape out and separate the squash stands. They will look like spaghetti strands. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Preheat a large saucepan/pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add olive oil along with onions, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Stir well and saute over medium/low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until onions start looking translucent. Don’t let the garlic burn; turn down the heat if you need to.
- Add carrots, tomatoes (if using), and mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes over medium heat, until softened.
- Add buffalo with the oregano, cumin, and coriander and stir over medium/medium-high heat, breaking up any larger chunks and cooking through until no pink remains in the meat.
- Add white wine, broth, and yogurt (if using) and stir thoroughly, bringing to a simmer.
- Cover pot and gently simmer until sauce is thickened and flavors are blended well, about 35-45 minutes. If you have the time, you can let it simmer for up to 1.5 hours for even better flavor.
- Saute your favorite veggies with garlic, sea salt, and olive oil. Place veggies in baking dish. Top with the leftover squash + gluten-free breadcrumbs and bake until heated through. Enjoy with a dollop of plain greek yogurt.
- Make a vegan pasta dish by mixing with dairy-free pesto or green or black lentils.
- Make a “noodle” soup using chicken broth, peas, mushrooms, and parsley. You can add shredded chicken too.
- Make an egg scramble: warm squash in a large pan along with any additional ingredients (e.g. chopped onion, tomatoes, cooked/browned chicken sausage, asparagus…), add whipped eggs and gently fold over until eggs are done to desired consistency.
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Simla Somturk Wickless, MBA, CHC, CNE, is the founder of Delicious Health ® LLC. Simla is a health, nutrition, and balanced living coach whose mission is to transform Busy Bodies into healthy, Balanced beings ®. Simla loves working with women entrepreneurs, professionals, expats, and autoimmune clients world-wide to help them maximize their energy, tame their stress, get to their ideal weight without dieting, and take back control of their health to live intensely pleasurable and impactful lives. Learn more at www.EnjoyDeliciousHealth.com or www.DeliciousHealthBlog.com.
This is a very creative recipe. I think I’ll be brave enough to try it this weekend. I’ll be sure to give my humble review after. Thanks for sharing.