Easy Vegetable Bolognese With Spaghetti Squash Food

SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Oil the inside of the spaghetti squash with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the prepared sheet pan and bake until fork-tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Add the beef, crumbling it as you go, and cook until thoroughly browned, another 5 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer until the squash is cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the squash and allow it to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Use a fork to loosen the squash and form spaghetti-like strands.
• Serve the sauce over a bowl of the spaghetti squash noodles, or inside the squash halves, topped with Parmesan and lots of basil.

ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Prepare the squash: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Split the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and discard. Place the spaghetti squash cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 to 4 turns of pepper. Turn the squash cut-side down (this will enable it to cook faster). Bake in the center of the oven until the squash flesh is fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then use a large spoon and fork to scrape out the fibers into a large bowl; toss gently to separate the strands so they resemble spaghetti.
• Meanwhile, make the Bolognese: Pulse the celery, carrot, onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté until translucent and dry, 7 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the TVP and nutritional yeast and mix well to coat everything evenly. Add the tomatoes and stir, breaking them up into small pieces. Add the vegetable stock, oat milk, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat; cover slightly with a lid and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. If the sauce still seems watery, uncover and simmer 3 to 5 more minutes.
• To assemble, place the spaghetti squash on a large platter and top with the vegetarian Bolognese. Garnish with the Crispy Kale Chips and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
• Wash kale and remove the stems. Tear the leaves into large pieces and dry completely in a salad spinner. Toss the kale with olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 3 or 4 turns of pepper. Spread the leaves evenly on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast in a 350˚ F oven until crispy, 12 to 14 minutes.

QUICK TURKEY BOLOGNESE WITH SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil and turkey to skillet and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Add bacon, vegetables, tomatoes, and pinch of red-pepper flakes, if using, to skillet and bring to a simmer; cook until turkey is cooked through and sauce is thickened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over spaghetti squash and sprinkle with Parmesan.

VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil over medium-high. When foaming, add the onion, carrots and cauliflower, season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few pepper grinds. Cook, stirring just once or twice, until browned and juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce and garlic and cook, stirring and smashing the vegetables, until the tomato paste is a shade darker and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the milk and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and stir to combine, scraping up browned bits from the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has thickened slightly and the vegetables are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (At first the pan will look dry, then the vegetable liquid will thin the sauce and it will thicken slightly).
• Halfway through cooking the sauce, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain. If the sauce is ready before the pasta, remove sauce from heat and keep covered.
• Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the pasta, 1/2 cup pasta water, the Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Stir vigorously until the pasta is well coated, adding more pasta water as needed until the sauce is glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with more grated Parmesan on top.

VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, carrots and celery until the onion is starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and the Quorn (there's no need to defrost it) and fry for a couple of mins. Add the bay leaf, passata, vegetable stock cube and 200ml water, then bring everything to the boil.
• Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins or until all the pieces of veg are tender and disappearing into the tomato sauce. Add the milk, then cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins. Season to taste. If the sauce is a bit thin, keep bubbling until it thickens. Stir through the basil. Serve with the spaghetti and grate the cheese over the top, if you like. Can be frozen into portions and reheated.