What to do with leftover spaghetti and bolognese? Make these Spaghetti Squash & Bolognese Muffins! Crispy bottoms with flavorful bolognese and topped with cheese! Keto, low carb, paleo

I mean… are these the cutest little things you’ve ever seen?

These Bolognese Muffins/Cupcakes/little packets of delight or whatever name you think most fits them are fun and delicious.

They really came to be because one day, as you can imagine, I had leftover spaghetti squash and bolognese. Instead of eating another bowl of it (although it was quite good), I thought it’d be fun to use the leftovers in a new way.

I’m always on a mission to make extra food for leftovers but then find creative ways to use those leftovers. I’m the only one in my house who likes leftovers so sometimes I have to jazz it up for it to get eaten again.

Case in point: turning “pasta” into a muffin. cupcake. whatever you may say.

These could easily be a main course but would also make a great party appetizer and go great in a lunch box too.

I like them because the bottoms get just slightly crunchy so it adds a great texture and totally changes the way you experience the spaghetti squash and bolognese.

Isn’t it crazy how changing something so small and simple can have such an impact that it can literally change the way you experience something?

There’s probably a life lesson in the somewhere but I’ll have to figure it out after I eat!

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Muffins

Print Recipe

Description

What to do with leftover spaghetti and bolognese? Make these Spaghetti Squash & Bolognese Muffins! Crispy bottoms with flavorful bolognese and topped with cheese! Keto, low carb, paleo

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage (ground or sausages out of casing)
2 slices bacon
1/4 yellow onion (chopped)
1/4 cup celery (chopped (optional))
1/4 cup carrot chopped (optional)
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream*
1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp dried basil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 spaghetti squash to be cooked or 3 cups already cooked (or leftover spaghetti squash noodles or regular spaghetti)
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

To cook the spaghetti squash in the oven:

Cut squash in half, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil, bake in oven for 40-50 minutes (depending on the size, check to see if it looks done at 40) at 400 degrees. Once done, scrape the insides with a fork to get “noodles”.

To cook the spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot:

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Put in Instant Pot with one cup of water. Set to high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer goes off, release pressure. Scrape the insides with a fork to get “noodles”.
Wrap spaghetti squash noodles in paper towel or cheesecloth and wring out. It’s important to get all the moisture out of the squash. Set aside.

To make the topping:

Heat a dutch oven or pan over medium-high. Add the two slices of bacon and cook until the fat has started rendering, about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, cooking for two minutes.
Add the carrot and celery, continue stirring, until the vegetables start to become translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add ground beef and Italian sausage. Add thyme. Break up ground beef and sausage with a spoon spoon or spatula. Cook until no longer pink.
Add white wine and then add milk or heavy cream. Stir to combine. Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir to combine.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, removing some of the fat that comes to the surface every once in awhile.
Add in the parsley and basil, stir.
In a bowl, whisk the egg, then add spaghetti squash noodles and mozzarella cheese. Stir well to combine.
Lightly grease a muffin tin and line bottoms with spaghetti squash mixture. Top with bolognese sauce. Top with parmesan cheese.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Notes

Notes If keto, use heavy cream instead of milk. If paleo, omit cheese. You can change the spaghetti squash for regular spaghetti if desired.