Spaghetti Bolognese
with baby spinach side salad
Nobody says no to spaghetti and meat sauce night, right? This is one the whole fam will love. Bonus points for reenacting a 'Lady in the Tramp' moment!
Smarts: We use a new method to make our sauce thicker and to hide some veggies - by pureeing our veggies first, they cook fast, add flavor and texture, and make the sauce healthier!
Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
- Maple syrup - 2 tsp
- Cooking oil - 2 Tbsp
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- Baby spinach - 4 oz
- Spaghetti - 10 oz
- Italian sausage, uncooked - 1/4 lb
- Lean ground turkey (or sub other meat) - 3/4 lb
- Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
- Italian seasonings - 1 Tbsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Garlic - 2 cloves, peeled
- Onions, small - 1, rough chopped
- Carrots - 2, rough chopped
- Celery - 1 rib, rough chopped
- Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp
- Crushed tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g can) - 1 can
- Red wine (opt) - 1/2 cup
- Parmesan - for serving, grated
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make pasta - Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt generously and add pasta. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Drain. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Season meat - Mix together sausage, ground meat, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings, and black pepper. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Garlic / Onions / Carrots / Celery - Rough chop and then puree in a blender, food processor or using an immersion blender. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and then meat to heated oil.
- Use a wooden spoon to break meat up into bits. Brown for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Fold in your veggie puree and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes and wine (if using). Boil and then simmer uncovered (be careful of spattering or just embrace it and clean up later) for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While sauce is cooking, whisk together balsamic, Dijon, maple syrup, and cooking oil. Salt and pepper vinaigrette to taste.
- When sauce is done simmering, taste and then season with more spices, salt, and or / pepper.
- Divide pasta into bowls or plates and let everyone spoon as much sauce as they want over pasta. Serve with as much parmesan as you want. Toss vinaigrette with spinach and enjoy on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
56 reviews
I liked it! I added sundried tomatoes and a tad more garlic. Next time I'll add some red pepper and a little sugar for more flavor, but with the quinoa noodles, it was a nice go to for comfort food.
0 HelpfulI really liked the bolognese sauce! Puree-ing the vegetables worked! Originally did with the sweet potato which was good but I over-cooked it so it was too soft.
0 Helpful