Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

I love everything about spaghetti squash, from the ease of baking it, to the flavor and texture. I think it's an excellent substitution for pasta or rice, and a fun spin on traditional dishes such as Bolognese.

I always soften my spaghetti squash by microwaving it for 4-5 minutes first, before slicing it in half and scooping out the seeds. While it baked in the oven for 40 minutes, I prepared the Bolognese sauce. I wanted to make something simple and quick, so I didn't follow a recipe. First I put a diced yellow onion and minced garlic in a hot pan with olive oil, and once those were softened, added a pound of ground beef. After the ground beef was browned, I drained the grease out, and added a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Once the meat absorbed the paste, I added half a cup of red wine to scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan (this is where all your flavor is!), and added a can of crushed tomatoes. Finally, I added some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and let it all cook together for 20 minutes or so. Once the squash was done, I scooped out the "spaghetti" and topped it with the Bolognese meat sauce and some Parmesan cheese. This was SO tasty and everyone in my house loved it!