Rebecca Harding’s healthier bolognese recipe

Zucchini Bolognese

Serves 6

Ingredients

Sauce

• 500g organic pork mince
• 500g organic veal mince (if your butcher doesn’t have any veal then you can just double the pork mince or use beef as a substitute)
• 800ml organic tomato passata
• 100ml organic tomato paste with no added salt
• 1 cup of red wine
• 2 x brown onions (finely diced)
• 2 x zucchinis (grated)
• 2 x carrots (grated)
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 1 x chilli (diced finely and optional if you’re not a fan)
• 3 x dried bay leaves
• 1 x cinnamon stick
• 350g button mushrooms (diced finely)
• 1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 x zucchini per person
• A handful of fresh spinach per person (or whatever other greens you have in the fridge)
• Parmesan cheese (grated)

Method

1. Slowly heat your olive oil in a stock pot and add crushed garlic and chilli. Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn and after about one minute, add your onions and cook until see-through. Take the mixture out and set aside.
2. Add your mince, salt and pepper and cook until brown, mixing well. Mix in your tomato paste (this will start to smell delicious). Once the tomato paste is mixed in well add a cup of red wine and leave to boil for a minute or two.
3. Add the cooked onions, garlic and chilli back to the mixture and stir through the tomato passata. Fill the pasta bottle half full with water, pop the lid on and give it a good shake. Pour the tomato water into the pot and bring to the boil.
4. Add the remaining grated veggies, salt and pepper and stir through. Pop in the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and turn the heat down to a low simmer.
5. Leave to simmer with the lid half off for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. We like ours a little thicker so take the lid off for the last 15 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. If you have time, add a little more water when needed and cook up to three hours. The longer it cooks, the better.
6. When you’re ready to eat, spiralise some extra zucchinis into zoodles and pour boiling water over them in a strainer. You can have them raw as well if you prefer. Add a good handful of spinach or rocket to the bottom of the bowl, top with the zoodles, a big spoonful of bolognese sauce, fresh parsley, basil and extra diced chilli. Grate some parmesan cheese over it all and a light drizzle of olive oil right before serving.