SCD Spaghetti (forget noodles, sauce is the star of the show)

Growing up, we took a car ride from Michigan to Florida and I ordered spaghetti for every meal there and back. I also had my mom make me her famous spaghetti for 10 years in a row on my birthday. In other words, I’m kind of a fan of Spaghetti.

And one of the first things my Mom and I talked about when I started SCD was would I ever be able to eat spaghetti again?

I quickly figured out that indeed it was possible with this fun Spaghetti squash I had never heard of. Now, 4 years later I’ve had an on and off love affair with the squash and the noodles it produces.

See, for a brief period in time I got lost in a noodle rabbit hole. I was trying, experimenting and searching the world for the perfect SCD noodle.  After going to the end of the earth and back (and cheating a few times to remember what the old toxic stuff tastes like)… it dawned on me.

It’s Not About the Noodles!

Sure, travel to Italy and meet a nice old lady who hand makes your noodles and it might be worth a night on the toilet. But when it comes down to it, the sauce is what I’ve always loved about spaghetti. The sauce is the star of the show.

These days, many people are too focused on the noodles and almost as an after thought they just dump some sauce on top and voila – spaghetti! Not in my book.

The kind I like is earthy, chunky, meaty, with complex flavors from all kinds of vegetables wrapped in an Italian herb tomato blanket.

SCD Spaghetti for Kids, Families and Singles

A practical meal is one that can be enjoyed by everyone (2 to 90) in the house. And for those who are needing bulk cooking to produce a few days of food, spaghetti fits that bill (specially if you use the quickie short cut below).

Now, there are two options for this recipe. The first is the delicious traditional and the other is the quickie version. Both have benefits and I’d urge you to try them both and let me know what you settle on and why.

You’ll need the following for both recipes:

• 1 Bunch of Scallions
• 2 Green Peppers (or other colors)
• Mini Bella or White Mushrooms (8-12oz)
• 2 Pounds of Grass-Fed Ground Beef
• 1 Spaghetti Squash

The sauces are the biggest differences and we’ll cover the specifics below. But you’ll need noodles for both, so let’s start with the squash.

Cooking Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Start by pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees. Next, slice the spaghetti squash in half. Get out a baking dish that has raised sides like a rectangular Pyrex dish.

Place the 2 halves face down in the dish and then put 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water in the pan. Bake them for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When you pull them out, you’ll be able to use a fork to separate the strands of squash into noodles.

The Traditional Spaghetti Recipe

This recipe is for the SCD purist, as it can be made without the canned tomatoes if necessary. Hands down, it’s the best flavor and well worth the time. It’s adapted from my Mom’s sauce that I grew up loving.

Start by browning the 2lbs of beef in a pan. At the same time get out a 8-10 quart pot for cooking the sauce in. You will need the following:

• Home Canned Tomatoes or 28oz Eden Crushed Organic Tomatoes
• 14oz Fresh Diced Roma Tomatoes or Muir Glen Diced Organic Tomatoes
• 6oz Organic Tomato Paste
• 25oz Eden Organic Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 Bell Peppers, chopped
• 8-12oz Mini Bella Mushrooms
• 1 Bunch of Scallions, diced
• 6-12 Garlic Cloves, peeled, diced
• 2 Tablespoons of Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Oregano
• 2 Tablespoon Basil
• Sea Salt, to taste

Add all these ingredients into your large pot on medium heat. Also, add in the browned beef once it’s cooked. Next bring the mixture up to a slow simmer and cover. Let this simmer for at least 2 hours, 3 hours usually produces the best flavor though.

For best results and timing, start the spaghetti squash at hour 2 of the simmering.

The Spaghetti Quickie

This recipe is for those with limited time, kids or picky eaters.

You’ll need to start the squash as stated above. Next, we’ll move on to browning the beef (or you could use 2lbs of shrimp). As you brown the beef, add in 4-8 cloves of fresh garlic and the following spices to create an Italian flavor:

• Cumin
• Coriander
• Black pepper
• Oregano
• Basil
• Sea Salt

I’m not including amounts, as you’ll need to experiment. But in general, use more of the bottom 4 than the first 2.

Next, chop up the vegetables listed above.

Then, heat a sauté pan with some coconut oil and sauté until slightly soft and slightly brown.

At this point, we have all our pieces together and it’s time to invite everyone to make their dishes.

For the sauce in this recipe, I use Eden Organic Traditional Italian. Some SCD purists might object to this, but I trust the company and think that food production has reached a level in which it’s okay to cut some corners here and there. Make no mistake about it though, ANY sauce you buy will not come close to the healthiness and flavor of a homemade sauce. And you can always go sauce-less.

Serve and enjoy… and for the cook grab a glass of dry red wine 🙂

In the comments below, let me know what you think and if you have a special sauce recipe, please share it with the community.

-Steve