Skinnytaste Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese {Cookbook Giveaway}

Skinnytaste Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese is hearty, light and delicious and will be loved by everyone at your table.

I am so excited to share today’s recipe for Spaghetti Squash (aka “Squashta”) with Turkey Bolognese with you. Not only is it one that includes spaghetti squash (my low carb / low calorie answer to my beloved pasta cravings), but it’s a recipe from The Skinnytaste Cookbook written by Gina Homolka. Gina has been writing the Skinnytaste blog for as long as I can remember looking up recipes online (I actually remember when it was called by another name way back in the day). Her blog, as well as her new cookbook, is filled with flavorful healthy recipes, easy enough to make any day of the week for your family. What I love most about Gina’s recipes is that they are filled with wholesome real ingredients, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains – definitely my kind of food…and the way healthy eating should be.

I have a pretty good feeling most of you probably already know who Skinnytaste is. 🙂

The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavoravailable for pre-order on Amazon or enter for a chance to win a copy – see giveaway details at the end of this post.

Let’s talk about spaghetti squash, have you tried it? Do you like it? I love it. I started eating spaghetti squash not long after I had my daughter several years ago, around the time I started to really pay attention to how I was eating, cutting back on carbs and calories and really focusing on losing weight. I have mostly made it “Italian style” like in this Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Vegetable Ragu or served with Turkey Spinach Meatballs. I’ve even gotten a little creative and kicked it up in this Thai Curry Spaghetti Squash recipe – so good. I think learning how to cook spaghetti squash is usually the first hurdle to get past, but once you get the hang of how to cook it the ideas are endless.

If you are wondering if spaghetti squash tastes like pasta, let me assure you that it does not. It most definitely tastes like a squash. It has a very mild flavor and light stringy texture so to me adding a hearty sauce to it like this turkey bolognese sauce along with a little Parmesan cheese really satisfies any craving for pasta when I don’t want to actually have pasta. Like I said, I love it.

This little guy loved it too. (He’s at such a fun age to introduce new foods.)

When I received The Skinnytaste Cookbook in the mail last week I knew right away I was going to make this recipe, especially since I had just picked up a spaghetti squash from the grocery store the day before. But I’ll be honest with you, it was hard to settle on one recipe because there are plenty of recipes that I can not wait to try.

Corny Banana Blueberry Pancakes, Chicken Marsala on the Lighter Side, Bangin’ Good Shrimp and Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls are just a few recipes that I can’t wait to make for my family.

This recipe for Skinnytaste Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese is a keeper, that’s for sure, and one I will be making again.

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Skinnytaste Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese {Cookbook Giveaway}

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Yield: serves 6
• Category: Ground Turkey
• Method: Stove/Oven

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Skinnytaste Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Bolognese is hearty, light and delicious and will be loved by everyone at your table.

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Ingredients

• 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped (1 small) onion
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 1 medium carrot, minced
• 1.3 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 cup 1% milk
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium spaghetti squash
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

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Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven, saute the pancetta over medium heat until the fat melts, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the butter, onion, celery and carrot and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the turkey and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cook until no longer pink, 7-8 minutes, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and cook until reduced, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, milk, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile using a sharp knife, pierce the squash 8 or 9 time. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Turn the squash and cook until the shell is tender, 5-8 minutes depending on the size. Let cool for 5 minutes. Half the squash lengthwise. (There should be no resistance, but if there is, microwave it a few more minutes.) Remove the seeds and use a fork to scrape out the spaghetti-like strands of squash.
3. Remove and discard bay leaf; stir in the basil. To serve, put 1 cup spaghetti squash in each of 6 serving bowls and top each with a generous 3/4 cup of sauce.

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Notes

Nutrition information per 1 cup squash + 3/4 cup sauce serving:  301 calories / 12g fat / 23g carbohydrate / 5g fiber / 25g protein / 9g sugars

Recipe from The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka

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**GIVEAWAY**

Details:

Winner will receive a copy of The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this blog post telling me if you’ve tried spaghetti squash and how you like to prepare it. Your comment will be counted as your entry into the giveaway.

Additional entries can be earned by:

(leave a separate comment after you complete each item, each individual comment will count as an entry)

1. “Like” Aggie’s Kitchen on Facebook. (if you already a fan, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

2. Follow @AggiesKitchen on Twitter. (if you already follow, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

3. Share about giveaway on Facebook with link to this post (you can also use share buttons at bottom of post).

4. Subscribe to Aggie’s Kitchen posts to come to your inbox or in your reader.

5. Follow Aggie’s Kitchen on Pinterest

6. “Like” Skinnytaste on Facebook.

7. Follow Skinnytaste on Twitter.

8. Follow Skinnytaste on Pinterest.

Giveaway starts Monday, September 29, 2014 and ends Monday October 6, 2014 at 12 noon (EST). I will pick a winner randomly using the Pick Giveaway Winner tool on my blog. Winner will be contacted by me via email and will have 48 hours to reply before another winner will be selected.

Disclosure: Cookbook is being provided to winner by Skinnytaste. There are Amazon affiliate links found in this post. I make small earnings if any purchases are made through these links, all earnings go toward running this blog. Thank you!

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