Have you ever heard of an heirloom (not tomato) squash?
They taste like zucchini but look like a little mini flower pumpkins. It really is a thing, I swear! The first time I ever had one of these was in a risotto, which I will be working on later, and it was absolutely incredible!
I saw some of these gorgeous squash at Whole Food’s Market the other day and just had to get them. They are so pretty! Hey- some people like puppies, I like pretty food. Get over it! I almost wanted to put them in a vase, but I didn’t want people to think I was weird or anything (no comments, please). I thought about what to do with these beauties for a couple days and then it hit me!
Why not make a meat sauce spaghetti and submerge these bad boys in it. Meaty spaghetti sauce simmering around the most beautiful heirlooms I ever saw! It was a match made in heaven.
There is nothing worse than a blah spaghetti sauce, well maybe there are worse things for you, but not me! I promise you this sauce has more flavor than you can imagine. And the whole thing is topped with fresh basil. Yummy yummy!
There is no real excuse for you to not make this. It is healthy, delicious, beautiful and is done in less than 30 minutes. Who says you can’t have dinner ready in 30 minutes? You can even set the table and wash the dishes before it’s done simmering away.
Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti; cooked, drained and rinsed (I used Tinkyada, which is a gluten free, brown rice pasta, but you can use anything you have)
1- 29 ounce can of tomato sauce
1- 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
½ cup dry white wine (nothing too sweet!)
1 pound ground turkey thigh meat
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
5 fresh basil leaves, thinly chopped + extra chopped basil for topping
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
6 heirloom squash (I used half green and half yellow), ends cut off
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for topping
Instructions:
In a large pot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, and onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they are translucent
Add in the ground turkey meat and a good pinch of salt and pepper
Once the turkey meat is browned add in all the tomato sauce, white wine, Herbes de Provence, parsley, oregano, basil, bay leaves and tomato paste
Simmer the sauce on low for ten minutes
Add the heirloom squash and cook on medium heat for another 15-20 minutes, until the squash is cooked
Mix in the pasta and coat it in the sauce
Top with chopped basil and shredded or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Serve!
