This easy spaghetti squash bolognese is great for healthy weeknight dinners with a flavorful meat sauce and perfectly roasted “al dente” spaghetti squash! It’s dairy-free, Whole30 compliant, paleo, gluten free and Low FODMAP too. Perfect to prep ahead of time and the leftovers are delicious!
Sometimes simple dinners are best. Especially when reality hits and it’s a weeknight, my kids need to be driven and picked up from multiple activities and I have 30 minutes max to get something ready.
On those nights (which is 4 nights out of the week for us) I need quick and painless recipes that also don’t require tons of cleanup.
That’s where meals like this spaghetti squash bolognese come in! And hey, if you have even less time than 30 minutes, the whole thing can be prepped ahead and simply reheated to accommodate those nights when you just CANNOT cook.
What You Need to Make Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
This meal uses simple real food ingredients, however, you’ll notice that the sauce contains no garlic or onion. I’m currently eating to treat SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) which means an SCD + Low FODMAP diet.
Of course if you want to add garlic and onion instead of using garlic infused oil, you can totally do that! However, if you’re like me and need to stick to a gut-friendly plan right now, you’ll get plenty of flavor from this recipe as written. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Spaghetti squash
- Avocado oil spray, or avocado oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic infused olive oil
- Bacon, or turkey bacon
- Ground beef (or a mix of pork and beef)
- Oregano
- Marinara Sauce (Low FODMAP if needed)
- Coconut milk
- Fresh parsley or basil
How To Make Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
First, roast your squash. This step can easily be done ahead of time – just store cooked spaghetti squash in a container in the refrigerator.
Cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Spray with avocado oil spray and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place face down on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes at 400° F. I like mine “al dente” so I start checking around 20 minutes (depending on size) to see if it’s soft.
While that’s roasting, make the sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the oil. If you’re using garlic and onion, you will cook that now. I used carrots and celery instead (but you can go with both for extra flavor.)
Next, add the bacon and cook until 3/4 of the way done. If you want to drain some of the fat, now’s the time (it’s optional). Add in the ground meat, season, and cook until browned.
Lastly, add in the sauce and coconut milk, season again to taste, and allow to simmer to blend the flavors. Serve over the spaghetti squash, garnished with fresh herbs if you like.
How to Add Flavor without Garlic and Onion
As I mentioned above, this recipe contains no garlic and onion to keep it SIBO friendly, yet still has lots of flavor!
If you’re on a Low FODMAP diet flavor can totally be an issue. I’ve found that garlic infused oil is a great way to add flavor to meals. Fody foods has this along with shallot infused oil and lots of dressings and sauces – including tomato basil sauce and marinara sauce.
Rao’s also makes a “sensitive formula” marinara sauce that has great flavor. My family has no idea when I use that sauce over a traditional marinara! You can also play around with herbs and spices you CAN have and even create your own blends using those.
Tips for Cooking Spaghetti Squash
One of my pet peeves is mushy spaghetti squash! I prefer if slightly underdone so it has some “bite”.
I like to roast my squash brushed or sprayed generously with avocado oil or olive oil and seasoned with lots of sea salt and black pepper.
Always cut it lengthwise to roast – I find it roasts more evenly this way. Roast in a 400° F oven, face down, seeds and strings removed, for about 20 minutes. Then press on the top of the squash and see if it has softened a bit.
Once it has, I consider it done. I remove it from the oven and allow it to sit face down so it steams a bit longer. It’s also way too hot to touch at this point anyway! If you have a very large squash, your roasting time might be about 30 minutes, but not much longer than that before it’s mush!
I hope you’re ready for a seriously tasty, healthy (and gut friendly!) Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Bolognese that will become a new favorite. Preheat the oven and grab that squash – let’s go!
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese {Paleo, Whole30, Low FODMAP}
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese {Paleo, Whole30, Low FODMAP}
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- Avocado oil or avocado oil spray
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 large carrot peeled and finely diced
- 2 large stalk celery finely diced
- 2 Tbsp garlic infused oil Fody Foods, or other
- 4 slices bacon turkey bacon is fine too
- 1 lb grass fed ground beef OR 1/2 lb ground pork and 1/2 lb ground beef
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 2 cups low FODMAP marinara sauce Fody Foods or Rao's sensitive
- 1/3 cup coconut milk full fat (optional)
- Fresh parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
For the Squash:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Spray the inside of the squash with avocado oil spray or brush with oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
- Place squash face down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on size and preference for softness. I prefer my squash al dente and roast for about 20-22 minutes. You can press down gently on the back of the squash to see if it’s tender.
For the Sauce:
- While the squash roasts, heat a large skillet over medium-hi heat and add the garlic infused oil. Once heated, add the carrot and celery to the skillet and cook until tender - about 3 minutes. Add the bacon to the skillet and cook, stirring, until about 3/4 of the way done. If the bacon renders a lot of fat, you can drain some at this point (optional).
- Crumble the ground meat into the skillet and sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and the oregano. Cook, stirring, to brown.
- Once the meat is browned and the bacon crisp, add in the tomato basil or marinara sauce and the coconut milk, if using. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally, then lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 more minutes to thicken and allow the flavors to blend.
- Use a fork to scrape the “spaghetti” strands from the squash and place in a serving bowl. Serve topped with the Bolognese sauce and garnish with parsley or basil if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More Easy Whole30 and Paleo Dinner Recipes? Try One of These!
One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Meatball Marinara Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice
Chicken Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
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This was incredible. I love anything Italian so this was the perfect substitute for spaghetti and meatballs. I will definitely be making this sauce even when whole30 is over. Thank you!
I too LOVED it! I tasted a bite while my sauce was simmering and immediately put another spaghetti squash in the oven!
This was absolutely delicious. I made my own marinara sauce instead of using store bought.
Does this sauce freeze well? I made it this past weekend and it was a hit, my husband absolutely loved it!
I used onions and the Rao’s regular marinara. This turned out well. My sauce didn’t thicken up much.
I liked this very much. The bacon gave it a nice rich flavor. I think next time I make it I might put a little extra oregano.