8ozmushrooms - white or mini portabella(sliced thick, and slices cut in half)
2clovesgarlic(minced)
White wine(a splash to deglaze pan)
20ozground beef(93/7 to keep this on the lighter side, or substitute ground turkey)
Gravy
2tbspunsalted butter
2tbspall-purpose flour
2tbsptomato paste
14oz canbeef broth
2tbspfresh thyme(or 3/4 tsp dried)
Crushed red pepper(optional, to taste)
½cupsour cream(use light or fat free if desired)
Garnish with parsley, chives, or microgreens; jalapeno slices if desired
Instructions
Make the Spaghetti Squash Noodles
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.
Drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place cut side down on the baking sheet.
Roast for about 30 minutes, flip and check the squash. It should be starting to pull into noodles when you scrape it with a fork. If it is still firm, return cut side down and cook another 10 minutes, then check again.
Once the squash is close to done, flip so cut side is up and roast another 10-15 minutes until flesh is starting to brown and easily pulls into noodles.
Once finished, remove from oven and tent with foil to keep warm if still finishing the rest of the prep below.
While the squash is cooking, make the meat sauce (below).
Brown the Meat
Add a little EVOO to the saute pan, add meat, and cook until browned. Stir often to break into small pieces.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from pan to a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb any left over liquid.
Saute the Mushrooms and Onions
Wipe out the saute pan just used to brown the meat, and add about 1 tablespoon of butter.
Once butter is melted, add mushrooms and onions.
Add a generous pinch of salt.
Saute until the veggies have released their liquid, and it has nearly evaporated.
Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
A light fond should have developed on the bottom of the pan by this point. If not, continue to saute until lightly browned.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, and cook another minute until the alcohol has cooked off.
Transfer the mushrooms and onions to the bowl with the meat.
Make the Gravy
In the same saute pan, melt another 2 tablespoons of butter.
Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 2 tablespoons flour.
Whisk to form a paste (your roux), and cook until the roux is a light brown and smells like cooking pastry.
Slowly add the beef broth, whisking as you add.
Add half the thyme (add all, if using dried thyme).
Add crushed red peppers, if desired.
Whisk briskly while the gravy simmers, until it thickens slightly to desired consistency. This should only take a minute or two.
Put it Together
Add the browned meat, mushrooms and onions into the gravy and mix to combine.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and the rest of the fresh thyme.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
Prep the Spaghetti Squash Noodles
The spaghetti squash should be finished cooking by now.
Scrape the spaghetti squash from the shell to remove the noodles and transfer to a bowl.
Taste, and season with a little salt if desired.
Serve
Serve about 1 cup of noodles on each plate.
Top with ¼ of the meat gravy.
Garnish with something green: parsley, chives, or microgreens. Add jalapeno slices if you like a little extra heat!
Notes
I use a heavy bottomed stainless steel saute pan for cooking, but you can also use nonstick, cast iron, etc, whatever your preference. If you opt for a nonstick pan, you can reduce the amount of fat used for cooking the meat and veggies to lighten up a little more. However, don't reduce the proportion of butter used for the gravy!This keeps well for up to 3 days for leftovers!You can also freeze this to pull out for a quick meal later - freeze the spaghetti squash noodles separately from the meat sauce. Freeze with a vacuum sealer to keep for at least 6 months.