Beef Ragu over Spaghetti Squash
This is ridiculously good. The sauce is from one of my very favorite cookbooks Pasta By Hand, a compilation of old Italian family recipes passed down through the generations, which, for a wannabe Italian like myself, is basically like hitting the jackpot. This sauce is the epitome of Italian excellence – simmered low and slow for hours to coax out every ounce of flavor mingling within. Don’t be put off by the 3 hours it takes to cook – just get it all in the pot and let it do its thing as you go about your day. Served over roasted spaghetti squash rather than traditional noodles, this is a hearty meal that won’t bloat.
Servings
6servings
Cook Time
210minutes
Servings
6servings
Cook Time
210minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. To make the sauce:
  2. In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked and browned bits stick to the bottom of the pot, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl, then carefully drain the fat, leaving about 3 tbsp fat in the pot, discarding the rest. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and red pepper flakes, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent but not brown, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato caramelizes, about 4 to 6 minutes. If it starts to burn or get too dark, lower the heat. Add the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  5. Add the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the meat to the pot, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the meat has become tender and the sauce has gradually reduced. Now, this will take about 3 hours or so, but trust me, the end result is so worth it. Get started on the sauce after lunch, leave it to do its thang all afternoon, then all you have to do later is stick the squash in the oven! When the sauce has thickened, season to taste with sea salt and pepper (I literally only had to use a pinch, the flavor was already incredible).
  6. To make the spaghetti squash:
  7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. Cut each spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (careful, this can be tough, so use a very sharp knife), then use a spoon to remove the seeds. Drizzle the insides with a little olive oil and season with a little sea salt and pepper, then place cut-side down on the baking sheet.
  9. Bake about 40 minutes or so, until tender. Remove from oven, let cool 5 min or so, then use a fork to shred the insides into “spaghetti”.
  10. To serve, plate some spaghetti squash, then top with sauce and a little freshly shaved parmigiano reggiano.