On the last day of our family vacation, we dined at Last Chair Kitchen & Bar, a charming, rustic restaurant at the edge of Whitefish, Montana. We love their rendition of oysters Rockefeller made with oyster mushrooms rather than the slippery bivalve. Their local bison ragu over roasted spaghetti squash made it to our wish list of recipes to recreate at home.

New Year’s Eve proves the perfect holiday to serve a heartwarming bowl of ragu to wrap up a boisterous season. Ragu, the ubiquitous meat sauce of Bologna, Italy, is traditionally served over the long, narrow noodles known as tagliatelle. The hearty sauce also makes a fantastic base for lasagna or tossed with rigatoni or small pasta shells.

I love the idea from the Montana restaurant to swap pasta for spaghetti squash. Less filling, more fiber and no gluten. Spaghetti squash can be cooked several days in advance,a boon for party planners.

For the ragu, a combination of ground bison and boneless pork adds heft and flavor to canned Italian-style tomatoes. Dried porcini mushrooms add texture and their distinctive umami quality — ditto for a generous cupful of red wine.

Look for ground bison at Whole Foods and other supermarkets. Bison offers lean, flavorful meatiness. Ground beef or venison can be substituted. Traditionally, the meat is not browned for the ragu, but I prefer it browned to build deep flavor.

Make the ragu one or two days in advance to help meld flavors. Simply reheat the sauce on the stovetop for a few minutes before serving. Offer a green salad and toasted garlic bread or breadsticks to accompany the ragu.

Raise a glass to toast to a new year full of homemade deliciousness shared with good friends.

Bison Ragu with Porcini Mushrooms and Red Wine

Makes about 10 cups; serves 8

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound boneless pork country ribs, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 pound ground bison, lean beef or venison

1 large onion, diced

1 cup diced fresh fennel bulb OR 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 medium-size carrot, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 ounce (about 1 loosely packed cup) dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup dry red wine or beef broth

1/4 cup (about 4 ounces) tomato paste

2 cans (28 ounces each) whole Italian-style tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Spaghetti squash “noodles”, see recipe (or 1 pound pasta noodles, cooked, drained)

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or deep saucepan over medium heat. Pat pork cubes dry, then add to pan in a single uncrowded layer (work in batches if necessary). Cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to a plate as it browns.

2. When all the pork is browned, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add bison. Cook over medium heat, stirring often to break up the chunks, until nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add onion, fennel and carrot to bison in pan. Cook and stir 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and porcini mushrooms; cook 1 minute. Stir in red wine and tomato paste; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in browned pork, tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup water, the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to very low. Simmer, partly covered, stirring often, until pork is fork-tender, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. Add water if needed to prevent scorching and to maintain a thick tomato sauce texture.

4. If time allows, let the sauce cool and then pack into a covered container. Refrigerate for up to several days. Skim any solidified fat from the surface.

5. Reheat ragu until hot. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over squash or noodles. Garnish with parsley.

Spaghetti Squash “Noodles”

Makes 8 servings

1 large (about 4 pounds) spaghetti squash

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Cut squash in half horizontally through the stem end. Use a spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds.

2. Put one squash half, cut side down, into a large microwave-safe baking dish. Add water to dish to come up 1 inch from the side of the squash. Cover dish with lid or plastic wrap vented at one corner. Microwave on high (100% power), turning dish occasionally, until a knife inserted into squash comes out easily, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove carefully and set on a cloth or trivet to cool. Repeat with remaining squash half.

3. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a large fork to pull the flesh out into shreds letting them fall into a microwave-safe serving bowl. Stir in oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Microwave, covered, on high until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot garnished with parsley.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2024 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.