Spaghetti Squash With Ground Bison & Pancetta

We found a lot of inspiration from the Whole 30 recipe book we used during our month long cleanse last Summer. More on that here if you are interested. Some recipes we followed to the T and others we modified to our liking. This recipe below is a little less heavy than the original, but still incredible, and of course, Whole 30 approved. The original - Spaghetti Squash with Sausage Arrabbiata Sauce. You can find that in this *book on page, 58. If you are interested in trying it. We used ground bison in place of ground pork. Both recipes are delicious!

—INGREDIENTS—

1 spaghetti squash

1 pound of bison

3 ounces chopped pancetta

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cups coarsely chopped seeded roma tomatoes

1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes- use 1/4 teaspoon if you don’t like it too spicy

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

—STEPS—

Cut the squash lengthwise in half. Scrape out the seeds and strings. Place the squash halves, cut sides down, in a 2 quart rectangular microwave safe baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water to the dish. Microwave, uncovered, on high until the squash is tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Let the squash stand until cool enough to handle.

In a large skillet, cook the ground bison, pancetta and onions over medium-high heat, stirring, until the bison is no longer pink. Drain off the fat, which should be minimal, bison has a lower fat content. Add the tomatoes, roasted peppers, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, crushed pepper and fennel seeds (optional). Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened, about 4-5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring and mashing with a spatula, until the mixture is saucy and well blended, 3-4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in basil.

Use fork to scrape the squash flesh into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Toss gently to coat. Spoon the arrabbiata sauce over the squash and serve.

This is a great classic italian alternative without the heavy carbs. It is filling, rich and delicious and you don’t feel bloated and heavy after. Win win! Once you get the hang of preparing spaghetti squash, there are so many dishes you can make when you want to substitute spaghetti pasta. It tastes so much like pasta too!

If you try this, let me know! :)

XO,

Charlene