Weekend Recipe: A Quick, Tasty and Healthy Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a quick and easy dish I designed for the contestants on Biggest Loser Australia. It only takes 15 minutes to make, so it’s the perfect meal to prepare during a busy week.

My secret to the perfect Bolognese is to start by choosing quality ingredients. I use pasture-fed beef because I love the greater depth of flavor it gives to the overall dish. This Bolognese is also great using turkey mince for those who prefer a lighter meat. I use fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes when they are in season or alternatively, you can also use good quality organic tinned Roma tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are naturally sweeter than regular ones and they have more flesh and less juice, so they’re my favorite for tomato-based sauces.

I make vegetable spaghetti with zucchini and use that as a substitute for traditional heavy pastas. Zucchini makes the most perfect and healthy low-carb pasta and what I love about this vegetable is that it takes just one minute to cook and will absorb the flavor of any aromatics you add to the pan. You can also use other vegetables in making spaghetti such as carrots, leeks, pumpkin, sweet potatoes or a combination of all of them.

The best way to cook vegetable spaghetti is to briefly sauté them in a pan over medium heat with a little olive oil until softened, otherwise they become too watery if plunging into water. You can also add a spoonful of pesto and a generous handful of baby spinach, like I do, which enlivens the flavor and color. Finish off your Bolognese with freshly chopped parsley and a generous grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino.

INGREDIENTS

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, smashed

100g (3 1/2 oz) celery, finely diced

300 g (10 1/2 oz) grass-fed beef mince

800g (28 1/4 oz) ripe roma tomatoes, chopped or 2 x 400g (14 oz) tins roma tomatoes

1-tablespoon tomato paste

Sea salt to taste

Grated Parmesan or pecorino to serve

Fresh chopped parsley to serve

ZUCCHINI SPAGHETTI

800g (28 1/4 oz) zucchini

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons pesto (See recipe below)

PESTO

60g (2 oz) basil leaves, chopped

60 g (2 oz) parsley leaves, chopped

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons roasted walnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons parmesan, grated

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

60 ml (2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

Pinch sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Saute onion and garlic until softened in a good quality cast iron or stainless steel pan for 1 minute

Add beef mince and cook through for 2 minutes until browned

Add celery then tomatoes and mix through

Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally then add the tomato paste

Cook until the sauce is lovely and rich. You may need to add a splash of water (or red wine) if the sauce needs it

Season to taste with a little flaked sea salt and pepper then remove from the heat and add a few spoons of parsley

While the bolognese is cooking prepare your pesto and zucchini noodles

TO MAKE THE PESTO
Combine pesto ingredients into a food processor or blender for 1 minute until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Alternatively, chop dry ingredients by hand using a large chef’s knife or Mezzaluna chopper then combine in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon and garlic.

TO MAKE ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Run the zucchini along a mandolin to form nice long spaghetti strips, or alternatively use a julienne slicer

Toss zucchini in a pan over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes with a little pesto and baby spinach

Divide zucchini spaghetti onto serving bowls and top with Bolognese sauce, extra chopped parsley and grated Parmesan or pecorino

Serve immediately and enjoy

Serves 4

NOTES + INSPIRATION: Layer bolognese sauce between roasted eggplant or fresh made spelt spelt flour crepes, then top with ricotta and parmesan before baking for 40 minutes for the most spectacular lasagne.

Vegetarians can use grated organic tempeh, extra veggies and a handful of walnuts in place of beef mince.

Teresa Cutter, founder of The Healthy Chef, is an author, nutritionist and classically trained chef. You can find more of Cutter’s tips and recipes on her website, app, eBooks and Instagram.

“My main goal at The Healthy Chef is to get people cooking and eating healthier. Eat natural foods, focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and just keep it simple.” — Teresa Cutter