What is bolognese sauce?

Bolognese sauce is a classic Italian sauce for pasta made with ground meat such as beef or pork . It's slow cooked with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, tomatoes, and milk to give it a creamy texture. Pronounced "bow-luh-nez," the sauce comes from the Bologna region of Italy, hence the name.

Can I freeze cooked spaghetti squash?

After cooking, run a fork through the squash to release the strands. Place the squash in a colander and set it over a bowl in the refrigerator. Let the squash sit overnight before packing the strands into freezer-safe bags. Frozen spaghetti squash will retain its best quality in the freezer for about six months.

What is difference between spaghetti sauce and Bolognese sauce?

The key difference here is that bolognese sauce contains meat of some sort – beef, veal or pork are the most popular options. It just so happens that beef is the most popular choice in Italy (and your favourite Italian restaurant Sydney).

How long will cooked spaghetti squash last in the fridge?

How long does spaghetti squash last? Cooked spaghetti squash should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When stored correctly, it is good for 5-7 days .

Can dogs eat spaghetti squash?

Yes! Spaghetti squash is healthy for your dog and is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals support the health of your dog's vision, immune system, colon, muscles, and more. Squash also helps kidney function and can decrease your dog's chances of heart failure.

Can you eat the skin of spaghetti squash?

Hubbard squash, red kuri, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and sugar pumpkin (sometimes called pie pumpkin) are varieties with very tough inedible skin. Though they need to be peeled before adding to soups, stews, and casseroles, most of these don't need to be peeled in order to be baked.

What is Bolognese sauce made of?

A classic Bolognese sauce typically includes ingredients like ground meat (often a mix of beef, pork, and veal), onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, red wine, beef broth, and herbs like basil, oregano, and bay leaves.

What is Bolognese sauce taste like?

As far as its taste, it will have a meaty heartiness from the browned meats, a sweet tang from the rich tomatoes, as well as an herbal kick from the various Italian spices used . If you've ever enjoyed a pasta dish with meat and tomato-based sauce, it was likely a variation of a bolognese recipe.

What does Bolognese sauce taste like?

Authentic Italian Bolognese is very different from the bright red, tomato-based sauce most of us grew up eating. It is, rather, a meat-centric, rich, creamy sauce . Italian Bolognese sauce contains a small quantity (relative to volume) of tomatoes for taste, but it remains a meat sauce, first and foremost.

Is Bolognese sauce the same as marinara sauce?

Bolognese is a loaded, slow-cooked gravy The site also explains that most bolognese sauces have at least two types of meat. And unlike the occasional marinara-with-ground-beef combination, bolognese sauces are made with larger cuts of a variety of meats, such as veal, pork, or chicken .

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese - Easy Vegan Dinner Recipe! (2024)

This easy spaghetti squash bolognese is a vegan version of an Italian classic! Made with hearty quinoa, whole peeled tomatoes, and lentils served over a bed of tender spaghetti squash.

this recipe

Today I'm partnering with my friends from Tuttorosso to not only give you this cozy lentil bolognese recipe but also talk about canned tomatoes.

I've been using canned tomatoes my whole life. Growing up in an Italian family, my mom (and grandmother) would make spaghetti sauce from scratch all the time. Without giving away our secret recipe, the base is a blend of a bunch of different types of canned tomatoes – sauce, paste, diced and crushed – so while I'm very familiar with those types, I do have to admit my knowledge of the whole peeled variety is somewhat lackluster.

This is why when Tuttorosso asked if I would be interested in being an ambassador, specifically talking about their whole peeled tomatoes, I jumped at the chance. Not only did I already love their tomatoes, but this was going to give me a chance to really explore how to use this type of tomato in my cooking.

Our first challenge? To compare the integrity of Tuttorosso tomatoes vs. Hunts tomatoes.

At first, this challenge sounded kind of silly, but as soon as I cracked open the cans I realized why we were doing this. If you're anything like me, then you've probably never thought about what the whole tomatoes look like when they come out of the can. So you can imagine my surprise when I poured out both cans and the difference was incredible.

Not only was the color a lot more vibrant, but it was how the actual tomatoes looked.

The Tuttorossoones were actually whole. I mean…what a novel concept, right? Whole peeled tomatoes that come out of the can WHOLE. Hunts on the other hand? Some were whole, but most were smashed.

It kind of makes you think, doesn't it? What's different about some canned products? So I started doing a little digging and what I came to discover was that, unlike other popular brands (like Hunts), Tuttorosso not only doesn't use preservatives, but their tomatoes are also sustainably produced, non-GMO verified, have no artificial colors or flavors, are allergen-free, are made in the US AND they're in non-BPA lined cans.

Given all that…I'm not surprised their tomatoes were in way better shape. (and that they also tasted better)

When it got to cooking with them, I wanted to try something a little different than I'm used to. I was initially thinking a stew, but I got pulled back to my Italian roots and decided on a vegan spaghetti squash bolognese instead. The beauty of this sauce is you only need one can of tomatoes and it's packed with veggies. The base is tomatoes, carrots and shallots and the “meatiness” comes in the form of lentils and quinoa.

Similarly to my chilis, adding quinoa to the sauce helps it thicken it, but also provides the illusion of ground meet. Plant-based, high in protein and looks like a meat sauce? Perfection.

Also, I like my sauces super thick, so rather than using tomato paste, I decided to puree some of the tomatoes with the carrot-shallot mixture. This helped make the bolognese hearty, but still light because it was only vegetables. I'm sure that you could customize this sauce with any leftover vegetables, too, like pureed roasted winter veggies.

OH annnnnd to keep it as light as possible, we're serving this beaut over spaghetti squash.

If you haven't discovered spaghetti squash yet, this lentil bolognese is probably one of the best trials. Because for those who are a little wary of the sqaushy flavor (like Matt), the sauce masks the flavor every so slightly and the spaghetti squash ends up really just acting as a serving vessel rather than the main focus of the meal.

Your turn…

What do you think about trying to make healthier, meatless meals a few days per week? If your family hasn't started doing this, is there something stopping you? And if you have, what are your favorite meals? I'm always looking for a weeknight meal inspiration, so please share any of your favorite recipes below!

And don't forget about the tomato test! I'm definitely planning to apply these principles across all my canned goods – making sure that if I'm buying canned it's the highest quality possible.

xx Alyssa

More incredible Tuttorosso Recipes to try

Spring Vegetable Quinoa Minestrone
Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup
Quinoa Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce
30-Minute Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Boats