Healthy Spaghetti Bolognese And Vegetable Recipe

A delicious and healthy recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese perfect for tricking little mouths into chowing down on some nutritious food.

Getting your child, heck, anyone to eat a large amount of vegetables in a serving is a tricky business. This recipe tastes incredibly delicious and yet is jam packed full of vegetables and healthy options.

Ingredients

500-1kg of 5 star premium mince (Choose the healthy heart smart option where possible)
2 cloves garlic
1 whole brown onion
2 splashes of oil (Vegetable or….)
1 chilli (red or green depending on your tastes)
1 green capsicum
1 red capsicum
1 tomato OR 1 can of crushed tomatoes (I prefer the fresh healthy option)
1/2 an eggplant
1 carrot
Thyme/Basil/Italian Herbs
4 whole cloves
4 whole bay leaves
1 tin of chopped/diced tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Tasty Cheese
Garlic Bread

Method

The Vegetable/Herb Base

First, make sure all your vegetables are chopped up (tomatoes, garlic, onions all diced, eggplant chopped, carrot grated or sliced) and placed into an oiled pan on medium high. Choose to season with a spice or herb (or both) of your choice at this point. I personally prefer thyme or basil for this step.

The meat base

When the onions have started to become transparent and the garlic, eggplant and carrot are becoming darker you should add the meat. Add just a touch more olive/vegetable oil at this point(just a splash or two) whilst splitting apart the meat and ensuring that it all cooks evenly through. Take your time, too many friends of mine rush this step and end up with raw bits of meat in their spaghetti bolognese. Not okay!

The sauce

There are two varying methods that I utilise at this point. First, the original way that was handed down to me and, personally, the method I prefer. When the meat has browned off, add a whole tin of chopped or diced tomatoes and stir through. After stirring through for 30-40 seconds then add the sauce of your choice. I prefer a garlic and red wine sauce or alternatively rosemary, thyme and garlic (Yes, I’m a massive fan of garlic). Now, add 4 whole cloves and 4 whole bay leaves and stir into the sauce.

Allow this to simmer on low for approximately 30-40 minutes-stirring every 10 minutes or so in a figure of eight pattern ensuring that you constantly scrape the edges of the pan down into the sauce. Season slightly with Italian herbs (any mixture- you can buy an Italian herb mix shaker at any Woolworths or Coles supermarket). If you have chosen to add garlic bread to this meal then set your oven for 180 (I’ve found that, regardless of brand of the bread, placing the oven on 180, or 160 for fan forced, will cook the garlic bread almost perfectly. However, every oven is different) for about fifteen to twenty minutes. See the packet for details.

When there is twenty minutes remaining, be sure to put your noodles on (spaghetti is perfect but for a little variety try some fettuccini). Remember to salt the water. Cook for about ten to fifteen minutes.

When the noodles are almost done, be sure to scoop out all the cloves and bay leaves from the spaghetti sauce. I’ve had a missing clove rock up in one of my meals and I bit down on it. God, the taste. Be sure to remove them all! Season again very slightly with Italian herbs and perhaps a touch more thyme, stirring through for one minute.

Serving

Now, switch everything off, drain the noodles and place into a bowl (I prefer one to two tongs worth of noodles) then add the sauce. A lot of people do this on a plate and top with just the slightest amount of sauce, I prefer to use a bowl and heap on the sauce on top.

Now, add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, top with grated tasty cheese and throw garlic bread on a plate to place in the middle of the table. You’re done!

This recipe works due to the large taste of herbs, spices and sauce covering the taste of the vegetables. If you slice and dice the vegetables finely enough visitors and kids alike will never know the difference. Try messing with the ratios of meat to sauce, sauce to vegetables and different varieties of seasoning and herbs. You can change the entire taste of the meal by adding a new herb.

Finally, this meal, provided you use 1kg of meat, 1 can of chopped or diced tomatoes and 1 jar of sauce, will serve two and have enough left overs for two more nights. It’s a house favourite at my place, we love it.