Low Carb Spaghetti Bolognese
I love Italian food, so last night I cooked up a spaghetti bolognese for dinner after a bike ride around Centennial Park. Bolognese is one of my favourite meals to make, mainly because it’s an easy one pot dish, it’s budget friendly, I can pack in a heap of veggies and it will keep for a few days in the fridge so I don’t have to cook every night if I’m a little time poor.
I make zucchini noodles when making bolognese and substitute that for traditional pasta. I use my favourite kitchen tool called a mandoline. Many people ask which one I have it’s called a “BRON MANDOLINE” a classic stainless steel slicing device from France which has adjustable blades to thinly or thickly slice and julienne vegetables. I’ve had mine for about 12 years and the best thing about this over other plastic mandolines is that it’s an all in once device. No swapping and losing blades which can be very frustrating. You can get them from good kitchen or chef supply stores or online at amazon.
When I make this bolognaise, I use lean grass fed beef mince or organic mince without added hormones or I sometimes make my own mince in the VitaMix using a lean piece of quality beef. A review in the American Journal of Nutrition states that grass-fed beef tends to be lower in overall fat content, an important consideration for those consumers interested in decreasing overall fat consumption. Research spanning three decades supports the argument that grass-fed beef on a gram by gram fat basis, has a more desirable SFA (saturated fatty acid) lipid profile when compared to grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is also higher in precursors for Vitamin A and E and antioxidants such as GT (glutathione) as compared to grain-fed contemporaries. You don’t need too much meat either and you can also use other mince such as lean chicken or turkey.
Vegans and vegetarians can use brown lentils in place of the beef mince and I often pack it with other veggies I have left in the fridge such as pumpkin, grated carrot, onion, mushroom, tomato and a little finely chopped celery. The veggies break down slightly into the sauce making it deliciously flavoursome and robust. Adding veggies also helps to increase the fibre and nutrient profile of the dish, and if you have fussy kids, they won’t even know that the veggies are hidden in the sauce.
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 sticks celery, chopped
250 g brown mushrooms, quartered
400 g lean (grass fed beef )
800 g tomato puree (passata)
250 g baby spinach
400g zucchini
handful fresh basil or parsley
30 g Parmesan cheese to serve
1 lemon
Sauté’ the onion and garlic in a little olive oil or water until softened.
Add the beef and cook stirring consistently for 5 minutes until separated.
Add the carrot and celery and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Stir through the tomato.
Cover and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich then add the spinach and stir through until it has wilted. Season with a little pepper and fold through herbs.
Run the zucchini along a mandolin to form nice long spaghetti strips.
Toss zucchini in a pan over a medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes with a small splash of olive oil, a little salt, pepper and chopped parsley until it heats through. Then drizzle in a little lemon.
Divide zucchini spaghetti into serving bowls and top with bolognaise sauce and freshly grated Parmesan.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
Serves 4
Protein: 30g
Fat: 7.8 g
Carbs: 7.6 g
Kilojoules: 935
Calories: 223
Do you cook the zucchini?
Yes Marie – take a look at the recipe instructions…you toss zucchini in a pan over a medium heat with a little olive oil etc…etc…:)
Very excited to try this!!! I love spagetti bolagnaise and have not had it for ages because of the carbs. I was wondering if you were opening a cafe in melbourne? X
And in Perth, Better still Narrogin, A little country town where I am from, but can settle in Perth as I go just about everyweek! And can you be my personal trainer! You look fab! R x
And in Perth, better still Narrogin a little country town, but can settle for Perth, as I am there just about every week, oh and can u be my personal trainer, you look fab!! R x
Hi Teresa,
Cooked this tonight for dinner. It was amazing. Just wanted to know when you put the mushrooms into the dish and if you did anything to them before, as it was not in the steps? I took a punt and threw them in, as is, after I added the tomatoes. Thx. Sxx
Hey Sam – glad you loved it ! Thanks for letting me know I forgot a step, have amended it now
x
THE most amazing bolognese dish I’ve eaten!! An even the vege version!! It’s now on my favourites list and will be on our weekly family menu (alongwith the other T.C recipes!) thank you x
Will try using my vege peeler to make the zucchini strips, see how it turns out….
should work fine Wayne. let me know how it goes.
Hi Teresa!! Which kind of tomato pasta/zucchini pasta sauce would you recommend? If I were to have a lazy option in the cupboard to add to zucchini and to use with this recipe? The passata tomato puree is that the label? Also, which brand of tinned/chopped/diced peeled or no peeled tomatoes do you use or what do you recommend here?
xxx
Thanks!!
Yep, the passata is normally in glass jars in the supermarket….look right down the bottom of the shelf. It’s basically just plain tomato sauce. Otherwise a few tins of chopped diced tomato or if you have a good blender get some good roma tomatoes that are ripe and puree in a vitamix. That’s your sauce. !! for a richer depth and flavour, you can add 1 -2 tablespoons tomato paste. Look for brands that are free from added sugar and preservatives.
Thank you so much! PS your website is wonderful, I love love your recipes
xxx
Do you cook the mushrooms with the carrot and celery or do you add them with the tomatoes or later on with the spinach? Thanks.
Fran, you can do either – if you want mushrooms to collapse into the sauce and add to the flavour, add them with carrot and celery. If you want them to present well in the finished dish and still keep some of their bulk, then add toward to end. I like to add them at the start. TX
Hi Teresa
I am in desperate need of a mandolin slicer, just wondering which one you recommend?
Thanks
Another great recipe!! I eventually found the passata hiding right down the bottom. I find it sad that they don’t put the healthiest option at eye level.