Courgetti Bolognese
So, we have been brave and ventured away from the traditional spaghetti bolognese recipe – but trust us – we think we’re onto something here!
For us, we just love a bowl of warming spaghetti, tasty bolognese sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, on a cold winter’s evening. However, we wanted to make this a meal for all seasons. Not only that – but a meal for all diets. This bolognese is: gluten free, FODMAP free, wheat free, dairy free (if you substitute the Parmesan 😉 and so on… Not only is it suitable for the majority – it is also lighter on the waistline too! A real winner – don’t you agree?
Not to overwhelm you but by adding just a few more ingredients you can also turn this into a chill con carne! But we’ll get to that in a few weeks…
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
400g chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper (diced)
3/4 spring onions, green part only (chopped)
400g beef mince (ideally lean, grass fed)
2 tbsp tomato purée
4/5 basil leaves
A pinch of salt and pepper
2 large courgettes
Parmesan (optional)
Method
1. Heat 1 tbsp garlic infused oil in a pan, on a medium heat.
2. Add the spring onions and cook for 2/3 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the mince and cook until browned, stirring regularly so it separates and does not stick together.
4. Put in the diced peppers and cook for a further 4/5 minutes.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and add the purée, a pinch of salt and pepper and 3 of the bay leaves.
6. Stir all the ingredients together and bring to the boil.
7. Reduce to a low heat, cover and allow to cook for 30/40 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
8. Meanwhile, spriralise your courgettes.
9. When your bolognese is ready, remove it from the heat. Season more (to your liking) and remove the bay leaves.
10. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan and add your courgetti. Cook this for a few minutes, tossing it often (N.B. Be sure to add the courgetti when the oil is very hot, so excess moisture is absorbed) You only want to cook it long enough to be heated and to brown slightly on the edges.
11. Serve immediately, placing the fresh bay leaves on top for display.