A traditional meat sauce, Bolognese is usually made with heavy cream and a variety of meats. To keep this one dairy-free, I use coconut milk instead of cream.
This recipe is from my New York Times Bestselling book, Practical Paleo.
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • nut-free • seed-free • sugar-free • 21DSD
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- Sea salt & black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp bacon fat or grass-fed butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 1 clove garlic grated or finely diced
- 1/2 pound ground veal or beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup dry white wine optional, omit for 21DSD - you may replace with beef broth if you feel you need to add some liquid
- Sea salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise so that two shallow halves remain. Scoop out the seeds and inner portion of the squash, and then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Place both halves face down on a baking sheet. Roast for 35-45 minutes—until the flesh of the squash becomes translucent in color and the skin begins to soften and easily separate from the “noodles” that make up the inside.
- Allow the squash to cool enough so that you can handle it, and then scoop the flesh out from the inside of the skin into a large serving bowl. Set aside until the sauce is finished.
- While the squash bakes: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the bacon fat or butter, and sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until they become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the ground veal, pork, and bacon, and cook until browned through. Once the meat is done, add the coconut milk, tomato paste, and white wine (optional), and simmer over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is well combined and any alcohol is cooked out (if you added it).
- Add sea salt and black pepper to taste before removing the sauce from the heat.
- Serve over the roasted spaghetti squash.
Notes
Yes, you can enjoy this recipe while on the 21-Day Sugar Detox! Simply omit the wine from the recipe.
Here are some other fantastic recipes for pasta replacements when you're on a gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo or Primal type of diet from a few of my favorite bloggers:
From Nom Nom Paleo:
Stir-fried Kelp Noodles with Beef & Broccoli
Zucchini Spaghetti Zoodles & Meatballs
From Grass Fed Girl:
Paleo Chicken Alfredo with Kelp Noodles
Paleo Chicken Parmesean
From PaleOMG:
Chicken Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl
Cold Vietnamese Noodle Pork Salad
Comments 62
I found that cooked spaghetti squash freezes/thaws very well. When I had some extra time, I roasted my squash and then froze it. When thawed, there was no difference in texture or taste.
I don’t know about spaghetti squash freezing well (but will try this) – but I do agree with you about squash. I was amazed that it retained its texture when I had roasted it with other vegetables – the squash certainly held up better than the potato, zucchini and peppers that I’d roasted along with the squash.
Made this for dinner. It was so good even my fussy kids liked it. 🙂
Really interesting account of a vegan admitting that her way of eating was causing issues! http://kristensraw.com/blog/2013/03/17/my-vegan-diet-caused-health-problems-would-primal-paleo-or-real-food-be-better/
P.S. Love, love, love this recipe. I have made it for my husband several times. It is so rich and good!
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes from Practical Paleo! I’ve committed it to memory from making it so many times. Also taught my parents, and my mother now makes it regularly. Delicious!
BTW, if you thin out the finished sauce with some extra bone broth, you get chili. 😀
has anyone found organic tomato paste?
I think Tropical Traditions has it online in glass jars.
Yes at Kroger
Glad I stumbled on this recipe! Going to give this a try tomorrow 🙂
I have been eating lots more spaghetti squash and am just loving it. All al dente all the time! :)) This dish looks particularly yummy–must try, thanks!
I so had never even heard of this vegetable before. I so have to get hold of one… not sure if you can in NZ, but would love to make this for my kids!! Thanks for sharing.
Would you need to replace the liquid if not using wine? Thank you!
Sorry for the late reply. You don’t really but if yours seems thick you can add some beef broth.
Would you need to replace the liquid if not using wine? Thank you!
Sorry for the late reply. You don’t really but if yours seems thick you can add some beef broth.
Just had this for dinner. OMG – Fantastic. I bought the book a few days ago, and in the book version – there is no wine.
Correct- you can just omit it.
Just had this for dinner. OMG – Fantastic. I bought the book a few days ago, and in the book version – there is no wine.
Correct- you can just omit it.
I really like this recipe, have made it several times to rave reviews, but with one change. You should never, ever, not ever, add raw meat to cooked veggies. Very high risk of transferring pathogens to the veggies. (If you don’t believe me, check the FDA’s food safety website. They even put up a billboard in my city that says never to add raw meat to cooked veg.) I brown the meat separately and add to veggies.
Hmm… I took a food safety class before I started a meal business many years ago, and never hear this as an issue as long as the entire dish is cooked to temperature through before you serve/eat it… browning the meat separately wouldn’t give the same flavor and it isn’t something I’d do at home. It’s quite standard to cook onions and garlic, for example, then add meat… I think you may be unnecessarily fearful here…
I really like this recipe, have made it several times to rave reviews, but with one change. You should never, ever, not ever, add raw meat to cooked veggies. Very high risk of transferring pathogens to the veggies. (If you don’t believe me, check the FDA’s food safety website. They even put up a billboard in my city that says never to add raw meat to cooked veg.) I brown the meat separately and add to veggies.
Hmm… I took a food safety class before I started a meal business many years ago, and never hear this as an issue as long as the entire dish is cooked to temperature through before you serve/eat it… browning the meat separately wouldn’t give the same flavor and it isn’t something I’d do at home. It’s quite standard to cook onions and garlic, for example, then add meat… I think you may be unnecessarily fearful here…
This recipe is yummy deliciousness. Spaghetti squash is our favorite pasta substitute and this is comfort food at its best. We use read instead of white wine, and double the recipe for leftovers. Thank you!
I mean red wine. LOL.
This recipe is fantastic!! I made last night and substituted ground turkey for veal/pork and generous squeeze of lemon juice for white wine.. Turned out so good! Oh and I also added 1 chopped heirloom tomato. Very good! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers/make again!
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This was SO good! I was trying to rush so had to make a few adjustments. Forgot to defrost the pork so used 1lb beef instead. Also forgot to add the bacon until the beef was pretty much done so threw it in after and tried not to overcook the beef. Mine looks a lot redder and creamier than the photo, this is definitely an addition to my regular rotation!
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This is easily my families favorite recipe so far from the 2nd ed of Practical Paleo. So good! We tried it over some summer and zucchini squash noodles and it was good. Since I doubled the recipe to ensure I had some left over, I also roasted some halved bell peppers the next day. This was great on top of those – better than the noodles IMO (Im not a huge fan of squash). This is easily becoming one of our “go-to” recipes. I plan to try it next with fresh ground venison.
Author
Love it!
Thank you for this recipe! Just curious if there is a difference in chopping the garlic vs using a garlic press? Does it yield a different outcome?
Author
The flavor of your garlic will usually be milder the less finely you chop it. A press is fine! 🙂
Would be nice to have an approximate weight for the spaghetti squash that would result in an appropriate amount for the sauce made from this volume of ingredients? Thanks!
Author
It would be nice – alas, I don’t have that for you! To be honest, this is part of the process of learning to cook and feel your way through it! If you feel like it’s too much squash for the dish when you’re loading it in there, set some aside to eat a different way, or add some more sauce if you’ve got some in the pantry and make a pivot. I know that an exact # is really helpful, I just don’t have that info for you or I’d give it!
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