The traditional recipe for bolognese comprises slow cooked ground meat, such as beef or pork, soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, tomatoes, and milk to give it a creamy texture. As for pairing it with spaghetti, the true Italian way calls for a thicker pasta like papardelle or tagliatelle.
Nonetheless, the dish is just as tasty with a few adjustments and this recipe from the Fast 800 Easy Recipes cookbook has a few to make it fasting-friendly.
The Fast 800 diet has three different approaches to weight loss and health management, which you can move between flexibly depending on where you are in your health journey or what your goals are. Each approach has the Mediterranean diet at its core.
Described as “a brilliantly versatile and quick-to-prepare Bolognese”, this pasta dish has under 500 calories per serving – 426 to be exact.
The biggest twist on the classic recipe is that this one calls for lean turkey mince rather than beef or pork.
Fast 800 spaghetti bolognese recipe
Ingredients
2tbsp olive oil
One medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
500g turkey breast mince
200g small mushrooms, quartered
400g can chopped tomatoes
Two tbsp tomato puree
One chicken stock cube
One tsp dried oregano
20g Parmesan, finely grated
For the spaghetti
80g wholewheat spaghetti
Two large courgettes, trimmed and spiralised or pelled into ribbons
Method
Take a large non-stick frying pan, add the oil and place over medium-high heat on the hob. When hot, add the onion and mushrooms and stir-fry for five minutes.
Now add the turkey mince and fry for a further five to eight minutes or until the meat is lightly browned but not cooked through.
While the turkey mince continues coooking take a large pan of boiling water and cook the pasta for 10 to 12 minutes or according to packet instructions.
Add the tomatoes to the pan with the mince and stir in 400ml of water. Follow with the tomato puree, crumble in the stock cube and sprinkle the oregano.
Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer and leave to gently bubble away for five to 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the sauce is thick.
Season generously with salt and pepper then stir through to finish the bolognese sauce. Now move onto the courgette.
If you haven’t already, churn up the courgette with a spiralizer or use a vegetable peeler to create thick ribbons. Add then courgette to the pan with the pasta in and cook it for 30 seconds.
Drain the contents of the pan in a colander then divide everything between four warmed bowls or deep plates. Top with the bolognese sauce, sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve with a green salad or finely sliced steamed greens.
