Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Recipe Ingredients

• Spaghetti Squash: A squash somewhere in the 2-3 pound range works well for this quantity of bolognese sauce. If cooking it in the Instant Pot (instructions below), be sure it will fit inside the round insert.
• Beef OR Turkey: Either ground beef or turkey work wonderfully here. There's an opportunity in the steps for the fat to be drained so the beef fat percentage isn't especially particular.
• Crushed Tomatoes: While plain crushed tomatoes work just fine, for an extra boost of Italian flavor I like to use crushed tomatoes with basil flavoring.
• Wine: You'll want to use a red wine that's on the drier side for this spaghetti squash with meat sauce. Good options are Cabernet Sauvignon, but Merlot or Pinot Noir will work, too.
• Carrots and Celery: These add a bit of sweetness and background flavor to the sauce. They're shredded in small bits so they totally blend in to the finished product.
• Garlic: Freshly minced or pressed garlic is recommended for a punchier flavor over the jarred pre-minced variety.
• Herbs & Spices: A blend of pantry staples, including oregano, crushed red pepper, thyme, and allspice, join fresh parsley and basil. See this post on slicing basil chiffonade to make quick work of it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cooking the Bolognese Sauce

1. Cook the vegetables. Sauté onion in olive oil for 6-7 minutes, then add the carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the meat. Add the ground meat and break it up into small crumbles as it cooks fully. Skim off excess fat if using beef.
3. Deglaze with wine. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape up any fond (browned bits stuck to the bottom). Let it cook down for 3-4 minutes.
4. Simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes and the dried spices to the pan and stir everything up. Simmer for roughly 30 minutes before stirring in the fresh herbs before serving.

Preparing the Spaghetti Squash

Bolognese sauce's thickness makes it a great candidate for serving over spaghetti squash strands. Scroll down to the recipe card for the traditional oven-roasting method, but read below for how you can cook it in the Instant Pot (no slicing raw squash).

1. Prepare the squash. Put the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour in one cup of water. Pierce the spaghetti squash all over and then pop it in whole. A spaghetti squash around 2.5 pounds is usually what I use, and it fits in my 6-quart Instant Pot just fine.
2. Pressure cook and shred. Cook it for 25 minutes on high pressure, let it cool a bit so you can handle it without burning yourself, and then slice in half, remove seeds, and scrape it with a fork to separate it into strands.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Quicker Prep - The prep time for a recipe can really add up. Here are some ways I've shaved off some time from cooking spaghetti squash bolognese.
  • Carrots and Celery: Cut them into large segments, place them in a food processor, then pulse until they're all in small bits.
  • Spaghetti Squash: See if your grocery store sells pre-sliced raw spaghetti squash halves. All you'll need to do is place them cut-side down on a sheet pan and roast (or follow package directions).
• Herb Timing - Add the dried herbs (oregano, thyme) at the beginning of the simmer time so their flavors meld in the sauce. Add the fresh herbs (parsley, basil) just prior to serving to retain their vibrant fresh flavor.
• Skimming Fat - If using ground beef you'll want to skim the fat before deglazing (this isn't an issue with turkey). A turkey baster can be used to suck up and discard any amount of excess fat without disturbing the other ingredients in the pan.
• Make-Ahead Options - Both components of this dish can be meal-prepped. Keep in mind you'll want to use up the sauce within 3-4 days, with the squash lasting a day or so longer.
  • Bolognese Sauce: Cook the meat sauce and refrigerate it in its own container. It also freezes well in an air-tight container.
  • Spaghetti Squash: Store separately from the sauce. Blot away any excess pooled moisture if it develops.