Savory and hearty bolognese with zucchini noodles is a healthy, gluten-free weeknight dinner the whole family will love. The fresh, crisp zoodles are warmed up with a layer of warm and rich bolognese, then topped with basil and parmesan. It’s an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love!
For the hungrier crowd in your family, you can always exchange the zoodles for spaghetti. I have added both carrots and celery for some extra nutrition and hearty flavor. The surprising star anise will give it a depth of flavor without being overpowering.
When the sauce is simmering, you need to spiralize the zucchini. If you don’t have a spiralizer read my post on other ways to make them here. I’m keeping the zucchini raw for a more crisp texture. If the zucchini is at room temperature, the heat of the Bolognese sauce will warm it perfectly. But if your zucchini is refrigerated or you prefer it slightly cooked, just heat them.
BOLOGNESE VARIATIONS
If you want to cut back on red meat, here are some meaty substitutions.
- Chicken or Turkey: use ground chicken or turkey for a lighter option
- Vegan Mushroom and Walnut Mix: sauté chopped mushrooms until cooked. Then add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Red lentils sauté all ingredients and then add the lentils and let cook for about 15 min in the tomato sauce.
ZUCCHINI NOODLE SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
Ingredients
- 500 g ground beef
- 4 zuccini
- 2 carrots minced
- 1 celery stalk minced
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 0,5 tbsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil to taste
- Parmigiana Reggiano to taste
Instructions
- Chop the vegetables finely, sautéin olive oil until soft on medium heat. Add the ground beef and tomato paste andsauté on high heat until everything has turned a nice color. Add the remainingingredients, stir and let simmer on medium-high for 15 minutes.
- Lower the heat some more. Add water if the sauce is getting too thick. Let simmer for 20 minutes or more. Thelonger the sauce is allowed to simmer, the better the flavor.
- In the meantime, make thenoodles. Use a spiralizer, mandolin, or peeler to make long, thin strips of zucchini.
- Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the noodles raw withthe hot sauce on top. Finish with a good grating of Parmesan cheese.
