Beef and Mushroom Ragu with Spaghetti Squash
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 medium spaghetti squash halved and roasted
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- eye roast trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces*
- kosher salt
- fresh black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 (35-ounce) canâ tuttorosso crushed tomatoes
- perorino romano or parmesan cheese rind (optional
- 1 teaspoon beef boullion (better than boullion)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 leaves
- 6 tablespoons grated perorino romano for serving
- 6 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese, for serving
- chopped parsley for garnish
- Carbohydrate 1.95008148268 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.261005253315 g
- Fiber 0.510237101950162 g
- Protein 1.01687088879 g
- Saturated Fat 0.035858432401932 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (44g)
- Sodium 25.1330886552459 mg
- Sugar 1.43984438072984 g
- Trans Fat 0.056001046491907 g
- Calories 12 calories
Step-by-step
- Roast the spaghetti squash, see directions here.
- Instant Pot: Press saute on the Instant Pot and heat the oil, add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.
- Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper then transfer to the pressure cooker.
- Top with mushrooms then pour the tomatoes and water over the beef, add the boullion, cheese rind, bay leaves and thyme.
- Cover and cook high pressure, 45 minutes. Quick or natural release.
- Let the pressure release, discard bay leaves, thyme and rind.
- Transfer the beef to a plate and shred the meat with two forks, return to the sauce.
- To serve, place just under 1 cup sauce over each spaghetti squash half, 1 tablespoon of grated Percorino Romano and 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese. Finish with parsley and serve hot.
- Stove Top: In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high, add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper then transfer to the pot.
- Top with mushrooms then pour the tomatoes and 1/2 cup water over the beef, add the boullion, cheese rind, bay leaves and thyme.
- Cover and cook low heat, until the meat is tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
- Discard bay leaves, thyme and rind.
- Transfer the beef to a plate and shred the meat with two forks, return to the sauce.
- To serve, place just under 1 cup sauce over each spaghetti squash half, 1 tablespoon of grated Percorino Romano and 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese. Finish with parsley and serve hot.
Brown the onions, carrots, and garlic until they reach a golden hue, taking care not to burn the garlic past 60 seconds or bitterness will transfer into the braising liquid. The combination of beef and sliced mushrooms creates a potent umami foundation, as glutamates in the mushrooms amplify the naturally occurring nucleotides in the meat. Tomatoes introduce acidity that breaks down tough connective tissue during the 45-minute high pressure cycle or the 2-hour stove top simmer.
Building Flavor Through Chemistry
Collagen in the eye roast dissolves into gelatin at sustained temperatures above 160 degrees Fahrenheit, yielding a velvety sauce texture without requiring commercial thickeners. Adding a hard cheese rind like Parmesan or Pecorino Romano releases free amino acids directly into the simmering broth. When shredding the cooked beef, use two forks while the meat is still warm to pull the muscle fibers apart efficiently before returning them to the crushed tomatoes.
- Avoid overcrowding the pot during the initial vegetable sauté, which traps steam and prevents the required browning.
- Do not skip trimming excess surface fat from the eye roast, or the final sauce will separate and taste overly greasy.
- Ensure the pressure cooker valve is fully sealed before starting the timer to maintain consistent internal heat.
