Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

As a semi-responsible twenty-something, I try very hard to eat well (try being the operative word). Obviously there are days when dinner equals brownies, but most nights I follow some version of Michael Pollan’s mantra: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”*

But we’re so bombarded with so many “eat this, not that” stories and studies that it can get very complicated very quickly. The simple directive “eat food,” which Pollan defines as anything your great-great grandmother would recognize. But in my brain, that quickly devolves into “What foods should I eat? Are there foods that are better than others? What do I eat to lose weight? Should I cut out dairy? What about wheat? Antioxidants! Oh god, do I need Omega-3’s?! askasfkasd;lfaskdf BROWNIES.”

(This is why what should be routine trips to the grocery store require hours of planning for me. If I didn’t have a list, I’d combust in the produce section.)

A few weeks ago, the Times ran a Well blog piece on the rise of eating gluten-free for more than just medical reasons. My experience thus far with gluten-free eating has been via friends who have diagnosed gluten allergies or sensitivities, but the article focused more on a growing number of people who are self-diagnosing gluten sensitivities and voluntary eschewing all wheat.

Their logic? To quote the article:

As with most nutrition controversies, most everyone agrees on the underlying facts. Wheat entered the human diet only about 10,000 years ago, with the advent of agriculture.

“For the previous 250,000 years, man had evolved without having this very strange protein in his gut,” Dr. [Stefano] Guandalini [medical director at U. Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center] said. “And as a result, this is a really strange, different protein which the human intestine cannot fully digest. Many people did not adapt to these great environmental changes, so some adverse effects related to gluten ingestion developed around that time.”

But as the piece explains, it is unclear how many people actually suffer from gluten sensitivities (testing can be inconclusive), and how many people are, like me, only interested in it as a means to shed pounds. The “carbs = bad” philosophy of the Atkins diet still lingers in the back of my head, and therefore, eschewing wheat seems like it would make sense as a method of losing those last 5 pounds. But then again, I see “Gluten-Free!!!!” stickers on every potato chip bag in Duane Reade, so hmmmmm …

All of this is a long way of saying I’m confused. I’m going to Boston this weekend, so hopefully Mili — who has been gluten-free for a while and is loving it — can help me out.

Also, I made naturally gluten-free spaghetti squash bolognese** last week, as a compromise between “need heavy food to deal with this awful cold weather” and “swim.suit.season.coming.” Spaghetti squash has long been a go-to for gluten-free eaters, as it mimics the look of spaghetti and is mostly tasteless, so it can be a good bed for pasta sauces.

I found it kind of meh — I’m not in love with the taste of pasta, so it didn’t bother me that this tastes a bit different, and really, we all know I’m in it for the sauce. And the cheese. But mostly the sauce. This is a pretty quick and easy recipe (even quicker if you use the microwave to cook the squash), which does mean I’ll be making it again. Hopefully by then I’ll have more answers on this whole gluten-free thing.

*It’s long, but Pollan wrote this essay a few years ago to spell out his edict more clearly. You could of course also read his books.

**I didn’t get into it (though the Well piece does), but gluten-free pasta, bread and similar naturally gluten-containing foods made with gluten-free flours are ex-pen-sive. Brands capitalizing on the popularity / consumer interest in going gluten-free? Probs. WAY out of my budget, especially when you consider how cheap the gluten-containing alternatives usually are. Spaghetti squash naturally doesn’t contain gluten (duh.) and was only $1 per pound, so I win.

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Please ignore the fact that I totally straight up murdered my squash. I hadn’t figured out that whole oven-being-totally-off-on-temperature thing, and also was so busy watching Friends that I ignored the burning smell.

– 1 spaghetti squash (3-4 pounds)

– 1 small onion, chopped

– 2 cloves garlic, diced

– 1 pound lean ground beef

– 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (next time, I’d use a 28-ounce can, but I only had a small can on hand)

– 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or rosemary or Italian seasonings blend)

– 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

– salt and pepper, to taste

– 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan) + more for serving (optional)

1) Cook the squash: Pierce the squash all over with a paring knife. Place on a lined baking sheet and roast at 375F for an hour, until the flesh is soft to the touch. Let cool, then cut in half lengthwise. (If you’re pressed for time, you can pierce the squash then pop it in the microwave for 10-15 minutes. Here are other options for cooking.) Remove the seeds and pulp, then using a fork, shred the flesh into spaghetti-like strands.

2) While the squash is cooking, make the bolognese: In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the onions have softened.

3) Add the ground beef and break into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the beef has browned slightly.

4) Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and the flavors have melded. Remove from the heat and stir in the Pecorino. Serve the spaghetti squash with the bolognese and top with additional Pecorino, if desired.