Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles

LOVED this recipe from Monica Metz‘s 28 Day I Love Food Spring Detox

It made a TON of sauce and noodles. I prepped all the veggies, and then ran some errands, and it went fairly quickly after that. The sauce would freeze really well if you are just cooking for one. Or, the recipe also halves easily. It even makes a yummy soup if you add more broth or water.

I used my new Veggetti Spiral slicer that just arrived in the mail from Amazon. At only $15, it’s a fun new kitchen gadget that’s easy to use, clean, and makes cool veggie shapes! If you don’t have this tool (yet!), you can easily use a vegetable peeler to make zuke ribbons.

Ingredient Prep

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.”

Enjoy!