Low Carb Pasta: Spaghetti Bolognese (chicken or lentils)

Mains

3 people

large cooking pot, spiralizer

Preparation: 15 minutes - Cooking time: 20 minutes – Keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer

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Ingredients

1 large onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots
250 g mushrooms
2 stalks of white celery
black pepper and sea salt
1 tablespoon Italian herbs
800 g diced tomatoes
150 g dried lentils - or 150 g pure (chicken) mince per person (see tips)
4 zucchini
optional: 1 to 2 cloves of garlic

Today I'm treating you to a new dish from my book ‘Low Carb on a Budget’, Low Carb Pasta: Spaghetti Bolognaise!

An Italian comfort food classic that usually pleases both young and old. ;-)

You can prepare it low carb with chicken mince or try the vegan version with lentils as a base. I find them much easier to digest than beans and chickpeas, and they’re a real powerhouse packed with fiber and B vitamins for lots of energy.

They also help reduce sugar cravings and they keep you satisfied for longer.

I’d love to hear what you think of this ‘spaghetti bolognese’ and if you are looking for more low carb pasta recipes, so let me know in the comments. :-)

Enjoy!

Love,

Low Carb Pasta: Spaghetti Bolognese (chicken or lentils), from my book Low Carb on a Budget

DIRECTIONS:

Shred the onion and chop the garlic. Sauté them until glazed in a large shallow saucepan or cooking pot with olive oil.
Meanwhile, chop the carrots, mushrooms, and celery. Add them to the pan and sauté for a moment. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs such as oregano and rosemary.
Add the diced tomatoes to the pan along with the dried lentils. Add a large cup of water (250 ml), cover the pan and simmer gently until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Cooking times vary depending on the type of lentils, so always check the package.
Are you making this recipe with chicken mince instead of lentils? Let the sauce (without the lentils) simmer until the vegetables are done and fry the minced chicken in a separate pan (see tips).
Turn the zucchini into noodles using a spiralizer.
Serve the noodles with the lentil bolognese and fresh basil. You could also add some roasted pine nuts.

JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:

I prefer using green lentils in this sauce because they stay firmer than red lentils. For a quicker version, you can also replace the dried lentils with 300 grams of pre-cooked lentils (from a glass jar or can).
For a lower carb version, you can replace the lentils with 150 grams of minced meat of your choice per person; I like to use pure chicken mince. For a vegan low carb version, you can chop up smoked tofu.
Now I would love to hear from you! Do you prefer this Italian classic with minced meat or do you love to experiment with legumes too? Would you like more low carb pasta recipes? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.