Bow Down to this Healthy Bolognese

What a dinner. This bowl of Turkey Bolognese over Zoodles hit the spot. I’m not usually one for a meat sauce, but this was on par for a North End restaurant. (Ok, not quite, but it gives the original a run for its money if you lighten up the dish.) The sauce is really simple to make and can be prep as a one pot dish ahead of time. It can easily be frozen, but does dry out a tad and lose a bit of its sauciness. The carrots and bell pepper add flavor and color to the sauce, while the red wine brings a little acidity and depth. As it’s almost September (– time is litttterally flying), try making this on one of those it’s-just-becoming-cool-and-crisp fall nights.

Ingredients (serves 6).

For the Bolognese:

• 2 t light olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/3 c onion, diced
• 1/4 c matchstick carrots
• 1/3 c yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 t dried basil
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 link chicken sausage, thinly sliced or diced (I used Brat Hans Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage)
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 cans (13.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added — only drain one can
• 1/3 c dry red wine
• Salt/pepper to taste

For the “Pasta”:

• 3 medium zucchini, spiralized
• 2 t light olive oil (omit if you “steam”)
• Parmesan
• Red pepper flakes

Directions.

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion carrots and bell pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 3-4 min.
2. Stir in basil, oregano, ground turkey and chicken sausage. Cook until turkey is crumbled and brown and chicken sausage is hot throughout.
3. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes (only drain one can) and red wine. Bring sauce to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 25-30 min, stirring occasionally. Makes about 6 c of sauce.
4. To cook zoodles,
   1. SAUTÉ: heat 2 t light olive oil over medium heat. Toss zoodles and cooked for 2-3 min or until zucchini noodles are tender, but still al dente. Remove from heat and plate.
   2. STEAM: Alternatively, spiralize half a zucchini into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1-2 min until zucchini noodles are tender, but still al dente.
5. Top zoodles with 1 c sauce. Garnish with extra basil, red pepper flakes and/or parmesan.
6. Enjoy!

Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny‘s “Zucchini Noodles with Simple Bolognese Sauce.”

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Nutrition for 1 serving (1/2 zoodles sautéed with 3/4 c sauce — no garnishes).

223 calories  •  8.4 g fat (36%)  •  12.7 g carbs (24%)  •  21.3 g protein (40%)  •  7.9 g sugar

These are estimates based off specific products I used and how I entered ingredients in a fitness tracker. This is completely subjective and used to give a rough nutritional estimate.