My slow cooker has gotten some love lately…one could say I’m a bit obsessed. But who can blame me? The smell in my house as I walked in tonight from work was heavenly – the combination of Italian spices, fresh rosemary and tomatoes. Mmmmmm.
The Gazette and KCRG (our local news station) have started a Cook Club which I, of course, am happy to take part in. It’s always fun sharing recipes with a group to share tips and tricks. This first recipe turned out great and I was excited to try spaghetti squash (yes, it was my first time!). Josh and I were like, “whoa, that’s so cool” when we shredded the squash after it came out of the oven. We will definitely be making other dishes with it soon. I enjoyed the fact that we felt satisfied after one (ok, maybe one and half because it was so tasty) bowls without feeling weighed down. This dish is definitely a keeper.
1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
2. Add the turkey and cook until browned, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces.
3. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf and rosemary. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise using a very sharp knife. (To make cutting the squash in half easier, slice off the very bottom or top of the squash so that it can stand flat on your cutting board.) Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
5. Place the squash halves cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt, if desired. Cook for one hour, or until the flesh of the squash is tender.
6. After cooking, let the squash sit for 10 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the flesh of the squash into stringy “noodles”.
7. To serve, top one cup spaghetti squash with 3/4 cup ragu sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
Turkey Ragu with Spaghetti Squash
Serves 8
All you need:
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing on the spaghetti squash
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Vidalia onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage (regular ground turkey will work too)
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 medium or 1 large spaghetti squash (about 6 pounds total)
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
All you do:
1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
2. Add the turkey and cook until browned, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces.
3. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf and rosemary. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise using a very sharp knife. (To make cutting the squash in half easier, slice off the very bottom or top of the squash so that it can stand flat on your cutting board.) Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
5. Place the squash halves cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt, if desired. Cook for one hour, or until the flesh of the squash is tender.
6. After cooking, let the squash sit for 10 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the flesh of the squash into stringy “noodles”.
7. To serve, top one cup spaghetti squash with 3/4 cup ragu sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
Adapted from: skinnytaste