Feeding Greg

Spaghetti Squash Boats with Turkey Bolognese

Ever since I was little I have been a spaghetti fanatic. It was definitely my most requested dinner and my mom, to this day, makes the world's best spaghetti. However, while I would love to chow down on a bowl of noodles everyday, my butt says otherwise. Which is totally okay with me because this is a super easy and delicious dish that provides all the flavor and "warm belly feels" that spaghetti has without the guilt.

To start the dish, you want to get the sauce cooking. The longer the sauce sits on the stove the more flavor it will develop. You can use any meat you want, I chose turkey since it's lean but still flavorful. Half beef and half turkey is also a good healthy alternative. This is my go to spaghetti sauce and I learned a lot by watching my mom make it through the years.

Turkey Bolognese:

2 lbs ground turkey

4 slices of bacon, cut into lardons

1 large onion, diced

1-2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

5 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth or water

1 Tbsp Onion powder

1 Tbsp Garlic powder

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 bunch of basil, chiffonade

1 Can black olives, sliced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, extra for topping

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, extra for topping

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Brown the turkey in a hot pan with a little bit of olive oil until just cooked.

2. Remove the turkey and place in separate bowl. Render the bacon in the same pan.

3. Once the bacon is crispy and brown, remove and place with the turkey.

4. Add the onions and mushrooms to the hot bacon drippings. Cook until tender.

5. Add the garlic and continue to cook till fragrant.

6. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, start the spaghetti squash.

7. Add the turkey and bacon and check for seasoning.

Spaghetti squash:

I had never worked with a spaghetti squash before and have completely fallen in love with it. It's hard like a pumpkin but softens perfectly in the oven. All you have to do is take a fork to the flesh and it separates in strands like noodles, hints the name spaghetti squash. You may need an adult or some big guns to split these bad boys in half. Luckily for me I had Big Greg, greg's dad, to assist me.

Once you have them split in half, scoop out all the seeds and stringy flesh. Pre heat an oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle them generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Create a water bath by adding a little bit of water to a sheet tray and place the squash on the tray. The water will steam and help cook the squash without making them mushy. I cooked the squash for about 20-25 minutes. Once they're cooked enough, the flesh will separate easily with a fork and resemble thin noodles. I prefer mine with a little more bite so I didn't cook them too long, but if you prefer it softer just continue to cook the squash till desired tenderness. I also drizzled mine with some more olive oil before topping them with the turkey bolognese.