Enjoy a guilt-free, low-carb Italian night with this Spaghetti Squash Bolognese! It has a rich and flavorful meat sauce served over noodle-like strands of tender spaghetti squash - making it Paleo, Low-Carb, and Whole30 compliant!
This Spaghetti Squash Bolognese is not only easy and healthy, but it's also a filling, hearty Italian dish that will satisfy all your carby cravings - but without the excess carbs, grain, and gluten!
It features a rich and flavorful meat sauce over tender, noodle-like strands of spaghetti squash.
It's Paleo, Low-Carb, and Whole30 compliant so no one has to be deprived of their Italian food fix!
And if you're dairy-free and missing cheese, it's great with this Vegan Parmesan Cheese sprinkled on top.
The Spaghetti Squash
Start by getting the spaghetti squash cooking. Place a whole spaghetti squash on a lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until slightly softened.
Then, cut it in half lengthwise and place flesh-side down on the baking sheet to finish baking.
To check for doneness, flip one half of the squash over. Then, run a fork down the top edge of the squash.
It's done cooking when the fork easily forms spaghetti-like strands with an al-dente (slightly firm) texture.
I came up with this method to prevent having to cut a rock hard raw spaghetti squash in half, which is super frustrating and hard!!!
Once it has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the seeds like you would a cantaloupe and discard them. Then, use a fork to gently scrape out the flesh. It should come out in noodle-like strands.
Transfer to a bowl and top with sauce. OR, after scraping out the seeds, use a fork to loosen the strands, reserving them in each shell.
Fill with sauce and serve, using the squash as a bowl. For more detailed instructions with pictures, see my post on How To Cook A Spaghetti Squash - The Easy Way!
Bolognese Sauce
For the sauce, start by cutting an onion, carrot, and celery. Set aside.
In a large skillet, brown some beef. Drain off fat if desired, then add the chopped veggies and garlic and cook until tender.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, wine (or additional broth), salt, pepper, oregano, and balsamic vinegar.
The balsamic vinegar is optional highly recommended! It's my secret ingredient that adds a subtle tarte/sweetness you don't want to miss!
Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
Spoon sauce over squash noodles and garnish with fresh basil and Vegan Parmesan Cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Top tips
- This recipe is low-carb in comparison to traditional Bolognese but is not low-carb enough to be considered Keto.
- Do not overcook the spaghetti squash! If it's overcooked it will be mushy and ruin the dish. It's done cooking when a fork easily forms spaghetti-like strands with an al-dente (slightly firm) texture. I can't give you exact baking times because their sizes vary - a lot! So keep a close eye on it.
- Don't sleep on the balsamic vinegar! It adds a subtle sweet/tartness that you don't want to miss!
Looking for more recipes?
And these Low-Carb Keto Meatballs from Four-Score Living look absolutely A-Mazing too!
If you’ve tried this Spaghetti Squash Bolognese or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese {Low-Carb, Paleo, & Whole30}
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
- 4 tablespoon Oil Of Choice, such as Avocado or Coconut Oil - divided
- 1 Lb. Ground Beef
- 14.5 oz. Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 4 oz. Tomato Paste
- 1 Medium Onion - chopped
- 1 Medium Carrot - peeled and chopped
- 1 Stalk Celery
- 4 Cloves Garlic - minced
- ½ Cup Red Wine - or additional beef broth for whole30
- ½ Cup Beef Broth
- Salt - to taste (around 1 tsp.)
- Pepper - to taste (around ¼ tsp.)
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar - optional but recommended
- ¼ Cup Fresh Basil For Garnish - chopped, optional
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese - optional
Instructions
Spaghetti Squash:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place spaghetti squash on a parchment lined or aluminum lined baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, or until soft enough to cut.
- Very carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place flesh side down and continue roasting for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on size of squash. If your squash is particularly small, check after 10 minutes just to ensure you don't overcook it. To check for doneness, flip one half of the spaghetti squash over and run a fork down the top edge of the squash. The squash is done cooking when the fork easily forms spaghetti-like strands with an al-dente (slightly firm) texture. Do not over cook or it will be mushy and ruin the dish!
- Once done, allow to cool enough to handle. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Then, use a fork to gently scrape out the flesh. It should come out in noodle-like strands. Transfer to a bowl and top with sauce. OR, after scraping out the seeds, use a fork to loosen the squash strands, reserving them in each shell. Fill with sauce and serve, using the spaghetti squash as a bowl.
Bolognese Sauce:
- Start by peeling the carrot then finely chopping the onion, celery, and carrot. Set aside.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned then drain off fat (if desired) and return to pan.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil (if needed) and stir in the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the wine (if using), beef broth, salt, pepper, oregano, and balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve over spaghetti squash.
Add You Own Notes
Notes
- This recipe is low-carb in comparison to traditional Bolognese but is not low-carb enough to be considered Keto.
- Do not overcook the spaghetti squash! If it's overcooked it will be mushy and ruin the dish. It's done cooking when a fork easily forms spaghetti-like strands with an al-dente (slightly firm) texture. I can't give you exact baking times because they vary in sizes - a lot! So keep a close eye on it.
- Don't sleep on the balsamic vinegar! It adds a subtle sweet/tartness that you don't want to miss!
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
Jenna says
I made this a few weeks ago and forgot to comment - SOOO good! Thanks for the post. I am making this again tonight!!!!
Cassidy says
Thank you for the good review - I'm so happy you liked it 🙂
-Cassidy
Dawn @ Peeling Back the Onion Layers says
Cassidy, this looks DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing at Healing With Food Friday! Come back again this week - we are LIVE now!
http://peelingbacktheonionlayers.com/healing-with-food-friday-10/