Recipes

Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles

You’ll need either a spiralizer or julienne grater to make the noodles. Both are easily found in a kitchen goods store or on Amazon.com. You could also use a vegetable peeler, but it’s much faster when you use a spiralizer.

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Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut or extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 more for the sauce
  • 6 organic zucchini
  • 1 clove garlic, minced — plus 4 cloves minced for the sauce
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • ½ cup carrot, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • a pinch of red chile flakes (optional)
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage (chicken) – buy in bulk or remove casings from actual raw sausages
  • 1 cup cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 cup diced button or shiitake mushrooms
  • (1) 24-ounce jar of Rao’s Marinara Sauce (or other brand that doesn’t include sugar or preservatives)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste (the kind that comes in a toothpaste-like tube)
  • 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1-2 cups of low sodium, gluten free broth (or homemade)
  • Additional sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)
  • Non dairy "parmesan" (optional) — store bought or homemade

Directions

  • Step 1

    First, get the sauce going: heat 2 tablespoons of coconut or olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery— sauté for 10-15 minutes, until the onion is tender and starting to brown.

  • Step 2

    Throw in the garlic (the 4 cloves, minced) and red pepper flakes, and cook for about a minute, stirring.

  • Step 3

    Crumble the turkey and chicken sausage into the pot and sauté, stirring frequently, until cooked through.

  • Step 4

    Add in the cauliflower, mushrooms, marinara sauce, pumpkin, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaves, and 1 cup of the broth.

  • Step 5

    Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add extra broth for a thinner consistency if desired. Discard the bay leaves and adjust seasonings for salt and pepper.

  • Step 6

    When the sauce is done, prepare the noodles. Run the zucchini through the spiralizer to make vermicelli-style noodles.

  • Step 7

    Warm the olive oil in a wide pan for a minute, then add the minced clove of garlic. Stir for a minute so it won’t burn.

  • Step 8

    Add the noodles and cook for a minute or two, until the zucchini are softened but still somewhat al dente (they can turn mushy quickly). Stir to make sure the noodles are coated with olive oil.

  • Step 9

    Arrange noodles onto plates, and ladle sauce over each serving.

  • Step 10

    Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, cracked pepper, parsley and non dairy "parmesan."

Notes

It looks like this requires a lot of ingredients, but it actually comes together quickly once you’ve done the prep.

It might be tough to pull off on a weekday, but this is a great choice for a Sunday afternoon kitchen sesh. The recipe makes a large batch that will provide leftovers later in the week.