By February. In Montana, February is the month you earn the spring. It's colder than January and the novelty of winter is completely gone and there's still eight weeks of serious cold ahead. I've found that acknowledging February for what it is — blunt, demanding, uncomplicated in its difficulty — helps more than trying to find romance in it. February is a job. You do the job. March comes.
Tom Whelan has finished posting Horses I Have Known in its entirety. Thirty-eight entries over the last few months, everything from Delilah in 1977 to his last active account in 2018. The response has exceeded anything he expected, which remains nothing — he entered with zero expectation and received a community. People have written asking if it will become a book. He's thinking about it. His daughter Claire is pushing for it. I've offered to help with the logistics if he decides to try.
The apprenticeship with Cole is developing into something more than I'd planned. He's absorbing faster than the average apprenticeship timeline and he's starting to develop his own approaches on specific problems — not diverging from what I've taught him, but building on it, adapting to the individual animal rather than applying the formula mechanically. That's the transition from trained to skilled and it's satisfying to watch happen in real time.
Made Cincinnati chili this week, which is unusual for me — it's not a style I grew up with, the spiced meat sauce over spaghetti. But Emma mentioned it at dinner last week, said it was her grandmother's thing, and I got curious and tried it. Cinnamon, allspice, cumin, chili powder, cocoa. Over spaghetti with kidney beans and shredded cheddar. Strange and good. Some recipes require you to meet them where they are rather than judging them by where they're from.
That Cincinnati chili cracked something open for me this week—the reminder that some recipes ask you to suspend your frame of reference entirely and just follow where they lead. This garlic spaghetti squash with meat sauce operates the same way: it looks like it’s trying to be pasta, and maybe it is, but once you stop comparing it and let it be what it is, it earns its place at the table on its own terms. February felt like the right month to practice that kind of patience.
Garlic Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce and Tomato
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 1/2 lbs), halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 40—45 minutes, until the skin yields easily when pressed and the interior is fully tender.
- Brown the beef. While the squash roasts, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon, and cook until no pink remains, about 7—8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Build the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15—20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
- Shred the squash. Let the roasted squash cool just enough to handle. Use a fork to scrape the interior lengthwise into long, spaghetti-like strands. Transfer the strands to a serving platter or individual bowls, discarding the skin.
- Serve. Spoon the meat sauce generously over the squash strands. Top with grated Parmesan and a scattering of fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 640mg