Zucchini “Spaghetti” with Bolognese Sauce

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Serves 4

This easy meat sauce is served over raw zucchini strands rather than spaghetti noodles. You can also make a lasagna out of thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash. Do anything you want with it, just promise me you won’t put it over pasta (even whole wheat pasta is highly processed and lacking nutrients). This sauce freezes well, so make a double batch if so inspired.

Cooking Tip: Mirepoix (pronounced meer-pwah) is a mix of diced onion, carrot and celery. This holy trinity is used as a starting base for hundreds of dishes, especially soups and sauces. I always have these three ingredients on hand. I recommend dicing the veggies on the spot rather than pre-dicing; surface area is exposed and the small pieces will oxidize and lose flavor.

Cooking Tip: To get spaghetti noodles from a vegetable, you’ll need to purchase a “spiralizer”. This fun gadget will also make curly-cues that make lovely garnishes. I use a Saladacco: it’s easy to store, quick to use and doesn’t take up too much space.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sausage meat (any variety) casings removed
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup red wine, or pomegranate juice with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 medium zucchini, spiralized into thin noodles
1/4 cup packed basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic, ground meat, oregano, fennel seeds, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook the meat about 3 minutes, until browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula as it cooks. Add the tomatoes and wine; stir to blend.  Turn the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 35-45 minutes, stirring occassionally. The sauce is ready when the liquid has evaporated by a third or so.

Food photo by Jackson D. Carson

Copyright: Alison Anton. 2009. All rights reserved.