Vegan Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Right now I have a lot of random foods in my house that I typically don’t buy on the regular. I thought I’d use this time stuck at home with nowhere to go as an opportunity to start experimenting and really up my recipe testing game. I am ::that person:: that has a to-do list a mile long that I’m proudly chipping away at while the world essentially stops, and while I putting lots of focus into house projects and home workouts I am spending twice as much time in the kitchen, soaking up every delicious second of it.

Back to the random food… I haven’t used spaghetti squash in quite some time. I don’t know if it’s because I rarely have the patience for meals that take longer than 30 minutes (even I have a time threshold with recipes!) or if because it simply fell off my radar, but it just hasn’t made its way into my Whole Foods cart in some time. I had a few recipes I wanted to try out with it and ended up buying a bit more than needed so I decided to whip up my own version of spaghetti squash bolognese for lunch yesterday. My husband was delighted to enjoy something other than his usual sandwich, and I felt as if I had just indulged while fully nourishing myself at the same time. Win!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 large spaghetti squash

garlic oil

1 can tomato paste

1 – 1/2 cups mushrooms (look for oyster if following low fodmap)

1/2 – 3/4 cup carrots

1/8 cup veggie broth

1 tsp each of thyme, basil, oregano, parsley

salt + pepper to taste

pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

parmesan (vegan or dairy, your choice)

Pre-heat oven to 425

Halve + de-seed squash, setting on a parchment lined baking sheet to roast

Drizzle squash with garlic oil, salt and pepper

Roast for 45 minutes or until squash is soft and golden brown

While squash cooks, chop your mushrooms and carrots

In a sauce pan over low heat, simmer veggie broth until it is just under a boil, then add in carrots and mushrooms

Cook veggies for about 5 minutes before adding the tomato paste and spices.

Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender.

When squash is finished cooking, use a fork to scrape the insides out.

Plate and top with bolognese + parm.