This recipe is a loose interpretation of Cincinnati chili, but that richly spiced meat dish is a loose interpretation of chili to begin with, so I figure it is OK that I am tapping into the same spirit of inspiration and innovation here.
The warmly spiced, fragrant flavor of the Midwestern classic is at this recipe’s core. Mine is made with lean ground beef or turkey, cooked low and slow with tomatoes and what might seem like just about every spice in your cupboard: chili powder, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and more. After a minimum of an hour, the ingredients seem almost melted, and a deep, mole-like savory-sweet flavor develops.
But whereas the typical Cincinnati chili is soupier and often served ladled over spaghetti, this one has the chunky-thick texture you typically expect when you think “chili” — plus a more vegetable-focused spin, as it is served over ribbons of spaghetti squash. I make mine a “five-way,” as they call it in that Ohio city: topped with beans, chopped onion and shredded cheese for a crowd-pleasing and healthful comfort food meal that just may become a new classic.
Cincinnati Chili Over Spaghetti Squash
4 to 6 servings (makes about 6 cups).
MAKE AHEAD: The chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
From Nourish columnist Ellie Krieger.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey (90 to 93 percent lean)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened natural (not Dutch-process) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sweet or mild paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bay leaf
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, including juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
1 spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds)
1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained (from one 14-ounce can), for garnish