Spaghetti squash bolognese is one of my favorite comfort food recipes and it's great as a make-ahead meal. It can last for several days in the refrigerator, along with cooked spaghetti squash. The sauce and cooked spaghetti squash noodles can also be stored in the freezer for a few months and thawed in the refrigerator overnight.
Here's my plant-based, low carb version of spaghetti and bolognese sauce. This recipe combines my Cauliflower Bolognese sauce with my Simple Spaghetti Squash recipe. You can find the omnivore's version of bolognese sauce in my cookbook, Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet page 160.
I also added my cashew cream recipe below if you decide to add some to the bolognese sauce to make it a bit richer and creamer. Cashew cream can be used with this plant-based version or the omnivore version in my cookbook. If you're doing dairy, top the plate with graded Parmesan. I recommend using a fresh chunk of Parmesan to avoid caking agents and additives that might be used in the pre-made graded version. Enjoy!
Cauliflower Bolognese
Soak the lentils in water overnight or about 8 hours if following SCD. To soak the lentils, add the ¼ cup of dry red lentils to a bowl with twice the amount of water because the lentils expand as they absorb the water. If you don't have time to soak the lentils, you can simmer the sauce for a bit longer. I like my lentils really soft in this recipe.I tend to make this sauce without the soaked red lentils because I end up eating the sauce with lentil pasta. You can easily make this sauce without the soaked red lentils, and then just simmer the sauce without the lid on for the last 5 minutes to get rid of excess liquid.You can also adjust the balsamic vinegar to your liking. I like just a touch of acidity, however you can add a bit more. Or, if you like adding a touch of red wine instead, add about 2 tablespoons or so in step 6 when adding the tomato paste.To make this a creamy bolognese, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cashew creme (recipe below) at the very end.I haven't tried a replacement for walnuts yet, but if you do, you can try soaked sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or pumpkin seeds. The walnuts mostly add a bit of fat and consistency to the sauce.If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use about 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 144kcal
Equipment
- Food processor optional, to speed things along
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 large carrot trimmed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste or sub with thick tomato sauce
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces cauliflower rice frozen or fresh, or one small head trimmed and pulsed in a food processor
- 2 pounds tomatoes, cut in quarters I use vine or plum tomatoes
- ¼ cup red lentils
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or sub with red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Pulse the carrots in a food processor, or use a knife to chop by hand until finely chopped.
- Add the onions and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, or chop by hand.
- Warm up a large stock pot on a low heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrot mixture to the pot and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato paste and blend in to the mixture in the pot using a spatula or spoon.
- Pulse the walnuts in the food processor until very finely chopped, or chop by hand.
- Add the walnuts to the pot and blend in to the mixture with a spoon or spatula.
- Add the cauliflower to the pot and blend in to the mixture with a spoon or spatula.
- Add the salt, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes and blend well.
- Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor until crushed, or chop by hand.
- Add the tomatoes and lentils to the pot and blend well.
- Place a top over the pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. If you didn't add lentils, take the top off the last 5 minutes to reduce the extra liquid, if any.
- At the end, add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and blend in. Adjust seasonings with salt and possibly a bit more vinegar depending on how acidic you prefer the sauce.
- Serve hot. Store in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for a few months.
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 277mg | Potassium: 574mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2540IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
Simple Spaghetti Squash
To make it easier to cut the squash before baking you have two options. The first option is to prick it a few times with a fork or knife and microwave it at one minute intervals until it's easier to cut. The second option is to prick it with a fork or knife a few times and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until it's easy to cut.How you cut it is entirely up to you. If there's a stem, cut that off first. Next, you can slice it across the short way or the long way, or slice it a few times across the body of the squash to get rings. If you cut it into more than two pieces it will shorten the cooking time by five minutes.After it's cut, you can remove the seeds or wait until after the squash has baked. I tend to do it after because I find it easier to remove them, but either way works. I don't add any salt or oil to the inside or outside of the squash because it can soften the squash too much and I prefer to season it once I'm using it in a recipe.If you prefer you can replace the olive oil with some broth or a more substantial sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 59kcal
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- Slice the spaghetti squash in half or in rings. See the recipes notes on help with slicing it.
- Scoop the seeds out, or leave them in and take them out once the squash is baked.
- Place each half open side facing down on the baking sheet. Pierce the outside of each half with a fork a few times to let moisture escape while baking. If you cut the squash into rings, place each ring on its side.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the squash out of the oven and turn it over to cool.
- Remove the seeds and use a fork to take out all the spaghetti squash.
- Add salt and other seasonings along with some olive oil (optional) or broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 193IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Cashew Cream
I use a food processor to make the cashew cream. You can also use a high speed blender. The goal is to process or blend the cashews until there are no bits of cashews left and it's as creamy as you can get it.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 89kcal
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in 3 cups of hot water for 20 minutes.
- Drain the cashews, saving 1 cup of the water.
- Process or blend the cashews with 1 cup of the reserve water until creamy.
Nutrition
Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Gloria says
I love spaghetti squash but never heard of bolognese, until I went to Antonio's! Yummy!!
Erica says
I've never heard of Antonio's but if they have bolognese you're in luck!