One of the best Bolognese recipes I’ve ever tasted came from an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. I had to know what they did to make it so freaking scrumptious and found out that there was some serious magic happening in that kitchen. However, it would take more time than I am willing to dedicate so I came up with a version that is much more manageable for us armature chefs and will still make you feel like a culinary master!
Ingredients:
1/2 lb grass fed ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
4oz panchetta, cubed
1/4 onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz baby spinach
1 small spaghetti squash
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp Parmesan, grated
1 tbsp grassfed butter
1/4 cup whole peeled tomatoes (low carb/sugar)
Begin by preparing and cooking the spaghetti squash. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut it in half longways and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Salt and pepper the skin and brush with olive oil. Place them on a sheet pan, face down. Roast for 1 hour or until a fork easily pierces the skin.
The next part of this process is making a sofrito. This is a traditional base for many Italian sauces. The french, and possibly more recognizable name for this is mirepoix. It is made from diced carrots, onions and celery. The sofrito used in the previously mentioned recipe is very, very slowly cooked for hours. What happens is the flavor from the veggies intensify and come together for something you can add to almost any sauce. But since we ain’t got time for that, we are going to do a quicker version that will still pack a punch.
While the squash is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick pan over low heat. Add the celery, onions and carrots, stirring frequently. These veggies will be cooked slow and low until they cook way down and caramelize. The final result will take about 20 minutes and should look like this:
If you allow this slow cooking process, the flavors of the veggies will become little nuggets of flavor so don’t rush this step. The original veggies are hardly recognizable at this point but that is actually what we are going for.
While the veggies are cooking, place your pancetta and garlic in a food processor.
Pulse together until it forms a paste.
Using another nonstick pan, heat the pancetta paste over medium heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until the fat begins to render out.
Add the ground beef and veal to the pan, breaking it up as it cooks.
Cook, stirring together until the meat browns. Add the cooked veggies and stir together until mixed well. Pour in the tomatoes, breaking them apart into small pieces and stirring constantly. Add the cheese, cream and butter and stir. And finally, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir everything together. Taste the sauce. Does it need a little more salt or pepper? Then give it another pinch.
The spaghetti squash should be done by now so remove from oven. Using a fork, shred the squash until it forms strands.
You can actually use the skin of the squash as it’s own serving bowl and put the meat and spinach on top. But for this recipe I am making it as part of a meal prep so I scooped the squash out of each and placed it into two storage containers. Top with half of spinach in each container. We don’t need to cook it because it will wilt when we reheat the meal. Finish by adding half of the meat to each container.
Your delicious and highly satisfying spaghetti squash bolognese is done!! If you are meal prepping, be sure to allow the meal to cool completely before sealing the lid and placing in the fridge. This will last up to three days. To reheat, microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes.
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef grassfed
- 1/2 lb ground veal
- 1/4 small onion finely diced
- 1 small carrot finely diced
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 4 oz panchetta cubed
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp butter grassfed
- 1/4 cup whole peeled tomatoes low carb/sugar
Instructions
- Prep and cook the spaghetti squash: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half longways and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Salt and pepper the skin and brush with olive oil. Place them on a sheet pan, face down. Roast for 1 hour or until a fork easily pierces the skin. While the squash is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick pan over low heat. Add the celery, onions and carrots, stirring frequently. Cook slow and low for 20 minutes until they caramelize. While the veggies are cooking, place your pancetta and garlic in a food processor and pulse until they form a paste. Add 1 tbsp oil to nonstick pan and add panchetta/garlic paste and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, allowing the fat to begin to render out. Add the ground beef and veal to the pan, breaking up the meat. Cook, stirring together until the meat browns. Add the sofrito and stir together until mixed well. Pour in the tomatoes, breaking them apart into small pieces with a wooden spoon and stir constantly. Add the cheese, cream and butter and continue to stir. And finally, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix everything together. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper to taste. When squash is finished baking, remove from oven, flip over and use a fork to pull the squash apart, forming strands. Top with fresh spinach and bolognese sauce.
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